A Little Comfort
by kryptofan974
Summary: *HIATUS* When Nodoka becomes very ill, Yue becomes worried that she'll lose her best friend. And she also starts to wonder if her feelings for Nodoka are more that just friendship. A NodokaxYue pairing. Rated T to be safe.
1. I'm Fine

**A/N: Hey Guys! It's been a while!**

**well, I finally got around to typing this! Whoo!**

**I had this idea stuck in my head for a while, because i was searching the site, and did not find a fic about YuexNodoka! So, I decided to write one, and using an anime plot cliche like this was almost perfect.**

**This was technically suppossed to be a one-shot, but I decided to add more to it. So stay tuned for future chapters!**

**I may re-write the chapter(s), so it'll get better **

**I do not own Negima**

* * *

Nodoka winced at the blazing sun. The dull ache coming from her temples grew stronger as the rays made contacts with her sensitive eyes. She shielded her face with her hand, and then peeked out to see where the sun was located. It wasn't too far in the sky, seeing as it was still early morning. But, bluish-gray clouds were gathering in the sky, and Nodoka smelled a hint of rain in the wind.

She shut her eyes for a small period of time; before she heard her best friends call her name from a distance.

"Hey, Bookworm! Let's hurry, or we'll be late to class!"

That voice belonged to Yue, a blue-haired girl, about Nodoka's age, who was basically Nodoka's best friend. Nodoka turned to her left side to see two girls standing a good two feet away. Yue was the shorter one, while the taller one with the greenish hair and glasses was Haruna, another close friend of Nodoka's.

Nodoka quickly shuffled to their standing point, but for some reason, was panting heavily when she got to them.

"Hey, Nodoka…are you all right?" Haruna asked, looking at her face, which was hidden by the girl's purple bangs.

After her breathing slowed down a bit, she nodded and reassured in a quiet voice, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me-"

She suddenly broke out into a small coughing fit. Haruna opened her eyes a bit wider, while Yue's gaze burned into Nodoka's.

"You were up all night, studying, weren't you?" Yue asked after Nodoka stopped coughing. Before she gave the girl a chance to answer, Yue continued, "I saw you up last night, reading your English textbook. From the look on your drained face, I'd say that you didn't get any sleep at all last night, did you?"

Nodoka stayed quiet for a minute, before admitting, "Yes. I was up last night…but I DID get to sleep…at least a little…"

"How long?" Haruna asked, taking on the role like a mother.

Nodoka mumbled something inaudible and twisted the handle on her book bag multiple times before softly stating, "About two hours…"

"Two hours? Nodoka, why would you risk your health for a TEST?" Haruna scolded, making Nodoka cringe from apprehension and pain added to her headache.

"Well, I...I'm failing Professor Springfield's class…and I didn't want to add more bad scores so, I t-tried to study as much as I could…"

"But it's not good for you to stay up all night." Yue placed her hand on Nodoka's forehead. "You feel warm. Maybe…you shouldn't go to class." A certain hint of worry formed in her voice as she went on, "I could take you back to the dorm, and…"

"No, no it's okay. I'll be fine, Yue" Nodoka smiled, hoping Yue wouldn't buy it. Normally, Yue could see right through her. But today, Nodoka hoped that her luck would hold out and, surprisingly, it did.

"All right. But if you feel worse at all during the day, let me know" Yue still didn't sound convinced, but let it slide. "Now let's hurry up, before we're late"

Nodoka followed her pals as they walked to the courtyard and to the main entrance to Mahora Academy.

* * *

"Hey, Yue. Is Bookworm okay?" Asuna asked, pointing at the tired-looking girl. They were in their homeroom; Class 2A. Everyone was talking to one another. They all conversed and chatted before the start f classes. Asuna was conversing with Haruna and Yue, with Sayo and Ayaka joining as well.

Asuna had seen Nodoka come in, pale and sleepy, and saw her sit down at her desk and fall asleep with her arms on the desk, and her head lying on top. Yue noticed this too, and started to become worried again.

"She was staying up last night, studying for the test, but I don't think she got much sleep last night. She was feeling warm and I insisted that she go back to the dorm, but she refused" Yue explained to Asuna.

"Well, if she's sick, then she shouldn't be here. She could get the rest of the class sick, "Ayaka dramatically explained, "including our precious Negi!"

"Oh, give it a rest, would ya, Ayaka?" Asuna bitterly retorted. The two never got along very well. But could you blame her? Ayaka was so over dramatic and she always talked about her crush on Negi. That was what Asuna found most repulsive; He was just a ten-year-old boy! The reason he taught at Mahora Academy was because he was super smart as well as a sorcerer prodigy.

Before Ayaka could send a comment flying at Asuna, Negi walked into the room, and everyone immediately got in their seats.

Negi set his books down and cleared his throat.

"Class…" he started, his sentences peppered with his British accent, "as you know, we have a test on Shakespeare"

This fact made the whole class groan.

"I know he's not an easy topic, but I'm sure that all of you will do great" he handed out papers to the students individually as he went on, "There are 20 questions on this paper, as well as a bonus that's worth 5 points. So, I encourage you all to do your best and…oh Nodoka, are you all right?"

Yue picked up her head and looked over to see Negi trying to shake the sleeping Nodoka awake.

"Nodoka…hey, can you hear me?"

A mumble was given as a response and the girl opened her eyes slowly, and looked up at Negi.

"Pro…Professor?"

"Nodoka, are you feeling well? Do you need to see Miss Minamoto?" Negi asked, referring to the school nurse.

Nodoka picked her head up and muttered, "No, sir, I'm all right"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes", she replied, in a quiet voice. She didn't pick her head up to look at him again; she was too nervous. She had a crush on Negi, only her crush was less obsessive and healthier than Ayaka's. Nodoka did feel Yue's gaze burning into her, knowing that Yue wanted Nodoka to get some sleep. But Nodoka had to pass this test.

Nodoka took a deep breath, which made her chest feel worse, and she coughed several times before gazing at the test. The nervousness was getting to her; she started to feel nauseous and light-headed. At least, that's what she **thought** was getting to her.

_Well, it's now or never…_Nodoka thought, and she clutched her pencil, ready to pass.

* * *

"Go to the freakin' nurse already!"

Nodoka moaned, covering her ears with her hands to block out Yue's yells. The dizziness from earlier that day did not subside yet, so she kept her head down when she replied;

"No. There's no point. Only a few more minutes until the day is over" Nodoka cringed as she felt like she was swallowing broken glass.

And as if on cue, the bell rang and all the students ran out in a frenzy. Only Sayo, Asuna, Yue, Haruna, and Nodoka remained in the classroom.

"Well, I have to go to Library Island" Yue told Nodoka, "Haruna has to come with me; we are doing an extra credit assignment. Will you be all right by yourself?" Yue asked, taking Nodoka's hand in her own and starting at the purple haired girl.

Nodoka stared back until she looked down again and murmured, "Yes, I'll be fine"

Yue let go of the hand and walked out of the room with Haruna, who saw the girl's worried face and reassured, "She'll be fine. She's tougher than she looks"

That wasn't enough to ease Yue. Something was wrong with Nodoka.

* * *

"Will you stop mimicking me?" Ayaka screamed.

"Hey everybody look at me! I'm Ayaka and my head is bigger than my chest!" Asuna giggled at her own joke.

"Hey! Like you're one to talk! You're fourteen and I've seen bigger boobs on a 10 year old!"

"Take that back, right now!"

A sneeze came from Nodoka as she tried to block out the noise. This certainly wasn't helping her headache, and now she felt extremely sick. Her head throbbed, her throat was scratchy and dry, her nose was clogged up, and every now and again, her stomach would make a rebellious move, causing her great discomfort. By this point, she was sure she had a fever.

_I just gotta…make it to the dorm…_

Thunder crashed and lightning struck, making all three girls jump and look out at the courtyard.

"Aww geez! Now we gotta run in this crappy weather?" Asuna complained.

Ayaka scoffed and snickered, "Are you afraid of a little water, Asuna?"

"No way!" and before you knew it, Asuna dashed out from under the awning and into the courtyard, with Ayaka and Nodoka at her heels.

Nodoka huffed and puffed, before a sudden chill made her gasp and slow down. Her head pain grew worse and her fever pitched. Her vision started to fade, making Nodoka groan loudly, and then suddenly stop.

Asuna heard the noise and turned back to Nodoka, seeing the girl had halted in the middle of the downpour.

"Hey, Bookworm!" Asuna ran back to the girl. Ayaka spun around and also went back to Nodoka. The poor girl was breathing hard, and her face looked as frail as ever.

"Nodoka…are you okay? Do you need help?" Ayaka asked, suddenly concerned.

Nodoka, in turn, didn't reply, but tried to gain her bearings back. However, the world spun around her, and her weak legs couldn't carry her any farther.

All she felt was the support from Asuna as she caught the sick girl from her faint.

"Nodoka! What's wrong? Say something!"

And then the world faded around her…

* * *

**Tried to stay true to their characters and personalities. Hope it worked **

**Ugh so tired! Wrote this at 11:30-midnight. -_-**

**Poor Nodoka. Wat' s gonna happen next?**

**Stay tuned! **


	2. A Friend in Need

**A/N: Hey guys! New chapter! YAY! I hope that this one is better than Chapter 1. I promise I'll post the re-write of it as soon as its done.**

**I thank the many people who hav faved this story and are reading it. The support is great, guys! **

**This chapter is a bit more descriptive than the other, and focuses on Nodoka's condition more, so...yea.**

**So, enjoy chapter 2!**

* * *

"Is she all right?"

"What do I look like; a doctor?"

"Don't yell at me! I was just wondering if-"

"Shh! Guys, keep it down! You'll wake her up"

Nodoka suddenly felt something ice cold being planted on her forehead. The freezing cloth sent chills up Nodoka's spine and she shivered. The object was removed immediately. She heard footsteps approach closer to her, but all she could see was blackness.

"Do you think we should get Miss Minamoto?"

Through her haze, Nodoka could recognize that voice as one of her classmate's: Konoka.

"Not yet. I'll take her temp when she wakes up." Nodoka knew that that was Asuna talking.

"But what if she dies before then?" That was Ayaka: Nodoka could sense the bitterness and sarcasm in her voice.

A loud smack was heard before Asuna erupted,

"Don't kid around like that!"

"Hey, I'm just saying!" Ayaka screamed back. The increase in volume made Nodoka's head pound harder. She covered her ears, turned on her left side, and whimpered.

The two quieted down as soon as they heard Nodoka. She felt someone's hand gently touch her cheek.

"Bookworm…can you hear me?"

The purple haired girl forced her heavy eyelids open, blinking her eyes multiple times to clear her vision. She took her surroundings in once she could see them clearly. She wasn't in the courtyard anymore. Now she was lying in a bed in one of the dorms; on the bottom of a bunk bed. The covers had been pulled up to her chin, covering everything except for her head. She rubbed her eyes, and noticed that she wasn't wearing her school uniform, but she was wearing blue pajamas. They were nice and warm, and she thought they smelled nice. Nodoka felt really warm, and was uncomfortable due to the hair sticking to her neck from the sweat.

She looked to her right side and saw Asuna sitting in a chair, right beside the bed. Next to her was a tray with a bowl of water, a rag, a thermometer, and a box of tissues. Ayaka was sitting on the couch that was against the wall facing Nodoka. Konoka was kneeling on the ground next to Asuna, peering over the sides and was staring at Nodoka.

Nodoka looked at Asuna's face and held her gaze before her rasping voice uttered, "Asuna…what…w-what's going on…?"

"Oh thank goodness" Asuna put her hand on her heart and sighed. She then put that hand on Nodoka's hot head and lightly answered,

"We're so glad you've woken up. You've been unconscious for about three hours now. We-"

"Three hours?" Nodoka shrieked, sitting up in bed, hitting her head on the top of the bed. She groaned, rubbing her head, and then started to cough hard. Covering her mouth, her body tensed up and shook with each cough. Asuna gently pushed her back onto the bed. The fit gradually stopped and Nodoka started shivering as a result from her chills.

"Don't get up. You're not strong enough." Asuna took the sheets and covered the girl's shaking body. She felt Nodoka's forehead, and then took the thermometer from the tray in her hand.

"You fainted in the courtyard. We carried you back here, to my dorm. It was pouring, and you were soaked, so we changed your clothes" Asuna explained as she stuck the thermometer in Nodoka's mouth. "Konoka changed you into her pajamas. I hope that's ok with you, but I was getting the bed ready and…Ayaka was panicking-"

"Shut up! I was NOT!" Ayaka yelled from her seat on the couch. Nodoka grimaced and shut her eyes tight. She moaned through her teeth, after which, Ayaka stopped yelling.

Asuna brushed the hair away from Nodoka's face and neck, who whined after feeling cold hands on her hot skin. Asuna wrinkled her brow in worry. She could tell the girl was suffering, and this only worried Asuna more. She took the thermometer out of Nodoka's mouth and stared at it. Her eyes opened wide as she read the temperature. Asuna swiftly turned to Konoka and asked in a stern voice,

"Konoka, could you go get Miss Minamoto?"

Konoka stood up and nodded, "Sure. Is it that bad?" Ayaka also stood up from her seat.

"Well…" Asuna hesitated, throwing a concerned look at Nodoka, who looked back with a blank stare, but then fell asleep quickly. "…it's definitely something to be worried about. Her temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit…"

"What!" Ayaka yelped suddenly. Nodoka covered her sensitive ears again. Ayaka paused and then continued in a quiet voice, "It's that high?"

Asuna nodded, and turned to Konoka, who spun around and went out the door, closing it quietly behind her. Ayaka walked over to the bed after she left and knelt down beside it.

Asuna took the cloth on the tray, dipped it in the bowl of ice water, and wrung it out before she folded it and placed it on Nodoka's forehead. Another freezing spasm sent itself down Nodoka's spine, and she let out a small cry. With a twinge of reluctance, Asuna stood up, turned to Ayaka and asked, "Would you keep an eye on her while I go get some things from the kitchen?"

Instead of giving her a sarcastic remark or yelling at her, Ayaka nodded, and sat in the seat next to the bed. Asuna went into the little room that was basically their kitchen. Ayaka looked at the sick girl, who was whimpering quietly, and started to stroke Nodoka's purple hair gently. Nodoka opened her eyes slightly and through the fog, saw a figure next to her. But…it looked so much like…

"…M-mom? W-what are you…doing…h-here?" her voice slurred from exhaustion and fever.

Ayaka felt uneasy for a minute, and glanced over at Asuna, who had also heard what Nodoka had said.

"Uhhh…no Nodoka…I-it's me…your classmate, Ayaka…"

Nodoka's violet eyes stared with a dull color at the blonde girl before she blinked and squinted at her.

"…A…Ayaka…what are…y-you doing…in…my h-house?"

The blonde girl looked at Asuna again, showing her apprehension in her expression, and then back to Nodoka.

"We…we aren't in your house, Bookworm…we're in Asuna's dorm…"

"Ohhh that's right!" Nodoka giggled, face palming herself lightly, "Heh, looks …l-like I forg-got…" she smiled at Ayaka, who didn't return the smile. Asuna walked over with a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol. She set the items down on the tray, and then took the cloth off of Nodoka's head.

"She's delirious from the fever" Asuna explained to Ayaka as she dipped the cloth in the water and put it back on Nodoka's feverish brow. "Once her fever goes down, she'll stop being all…loopy and whatnot" Sitting on the edge of the bed, she uncapped the Tylenol, took a small plastic cup and poured the thick, red liquid into it.

"Nodoka…" Asuna gently shook the girl out of her daze, "I need you to sit up and take this medicine. Can you do that?" Nodoka nodded and struggled to sit up. Ayaka supported her back and helped her. Asuna gave Nodoka the small cup. The purple haired girl wrinkled her nose in distaste as the fumes of the medicine made her nauseous. She turned her head away sharply.

"Come on, Bookworm. It'll make you feel better" Ayaka coaxed as she rubbed Nodoka's back. With a deep breath, Nodoka gulped the liquid down fast and groaned. Ayaka laid her sick classmate back down on the bed, covered her, and put the cold compress back.

Suddenly, Nodoka's eyes flew open and she sat up straight.

"Yue! Haruna! I…g-g-gotta get back…to my d-dorm…they'll…be wondering w-where I…am" she suddenly started to cough, and cringed when her throat felt sore.

"Bookworm, lay back down. It's all right. I asked Negi to go and tell them about what happened" Asuna explained.

"R-really?"

"Yeah…he's on his way to Library Island now, and-"

The door opened, and in stepped Miss Minamoto followed by Konoka. Asuna and Ayaka both stood up as they walked into the room. Miss Minamoto was a tall woman with blue hair and glasses, and she had the biggest bust that anyone had ever seen. She was a nice woman, and was the best nurse that was ever at Mahora Academy.

"Well, hello girls" she greeted calmly. She had a black bag slung over her left shoulder, marked with a red medical cross. She was wearing a long white coat, which was completely soaked from the rain outside. She walked over to where Nodoka lay in the bed.

"Miss Konoka told me that someone needed help right away. I take it Miss Nodoka is the one in need of help" she glanced at the sick student, whose face was pale except for her rosy cheeks.

"That's right. We…didn't think she'd be strong enough to bring to your office, so we asked Konoka to get you. I hope that was okay" Asuna explained.

"It's fine" Miss Minamoto answered, taking off her coat and hanging it on the back of the chair. She sat down and pulled the chair closer to the bed.

"What happened, anyway? Did this come on suddenly, or was she showing symptoms before?" the nurse asked Asuna.

"Well, Yue told me that Nodoka hadn't been feeling well, and she was sluggish throughout the day. She looked sick throughout the day, but Yue said that Nodoka had insisted she was okay. But, when we were walking through the courtyard to the dorms, she passed out."

Ayaka stepped in and added, "Asuna carried her to the dorm and we changed her clothes. She was out for a good three hours, and then she woke up. The poor thing was confused and delirious, and her temperature was about 102 degrees Fahrenheit"

Miss Minamoto's expression changed instantly to a concerned look and she took out a stethoscope and a thermometer from her bag.

"Did you give her any medicine?" she asked Asuna, as she removed the compress on the girl's head.

"Yeah. I gave her some Tylenol" Asuna pointed to the bottle of medication. Miss Minamoto nodded and placed her hand on Nodoka's shoulder.

"Miss Nodoka, its Miss Minamoto." The girl turned her glossy eyes to the nurse. "I'm going to examine you, in order to see what's wrong. Can you sit up for me?"

Nodoka nodded, and once again struggled to sit up in bed.

"I'm sorry. You can go back to sleep once I'm done." Miss Minamoto turned to the other girls. "Could you please step outside? I'll call you back in once I'm done with her. I just thought she'd want her privacy."

"Of course" Asuna bowed and motioned for Konoka and Ayaka to join her. They closed the door behind them quietly and stood in the hallway.

Ayaka tapped her foot and leaned against the wall while Konoka sat down on the floor, with her back against the wall. Asuna also leaned against the wall, and crossed her arms. They remained silent and all that was heard, aside from the girls in other dorms, was the echoing sound of the rain outside. Asuna's mind flooded with worry and questions.

_I hope Bookworm is all right. And I hope Negi hurries back with Yue and Haruna. I think she wants to see them. _

_

* * *

_

**LIZARD: Well, again, I hope that was better than Chapter 1. I promise the re-write of it will be up soon. I was lucky to finish this in time. **

**Awwww Poor little Bookworm. she's so cute! All disoriented and whutnot. X3**

**and awww-er _(a word? lolz)_, Ayaka, Asuna, and Konoka are like her parents. Asuna and Ayaka more. XD who knew that Ayaka could act so concerned to a classmate that she doesn't even talk to often?**

**Next chapter will reveal the diagnosis that Miss Minamoto as well as Yue and Haruna and Negi. I kno that this might seem a bit melo-dramatic, but its all for emotion from the audience-**

**AYAKA: Shut up already! **

**LIZARD: ****geez. well stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	3. Diagnosis

**AN: YAY Chapter 3 is done! Sorry guys if it took me a while, but I started the Fruits Basket fan fiction too, and I had some problems with school work _(actually, I still do *curses Huck Finn book*) _Geez, I cannot get myself to finish that book! _ **

**Anywhoo...Toward the end of this chapter, I got a bit bored and unsure of what to do. and sorry for the sucky chapter name. It'll get better next chapter. I promise. But in this one, we hav a little Chamo action! :3**

**So I hope u guys enjoy!**

**_

* * *

_**"Man, I will never get over how huge this library is! It's a wonder that Bookworm doesn't get lost in here!" Haruna called to Yue in the research aisle. Yue picked her head up from the book she was scanning through, and sighed. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Nodoka.

Haruna's head popped around the corner and she asked, "Yue, what are you doing in this aisle? We are supposed to be looking for books on Japan's geography." She walked to Yue and looked at the book in her hands. Large blue letters were printed on it that said _Signs and Symptoms of Various Illnesses. _Haruna's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Why are you looking at books about sicknesses?"

Yue looked down at her feet, her hair hanging in front of her eyes, and she remained quiet for a few seconds.

"B-because…because…of Nodoka…" she finally whispered.

"What?"

"I…I just can't get Nodoka out of my mind. I mean, she wasn't feeling well today, and she looked sick. It just…it just bothered me…"

"Nodoka's tough…she can handle it…"

"But what if she overworked herself? She would definitely do that, and not tell anyone what was wrong…she…she just means a lot to me…"

Haruna put her hand on Yue's shoulder. "I can tell you are worried about Bookworm, but she's strong. She can handle anything."

Yue smiled a little "She is tough, for a shy middle school girl." And she blushed at thinking how assertive Nodoka could be if she had enough confidence. She pictured in her mind Nodoka standing rigid, fists clenched, ready to fight against a giant cartoon amoeba that had "sickness" printed on it. But, her giddiness went away once she realized that her heart was thumping a mile a minute and her face was turning scarlet. Haruna took note of this and asked, "Is something wrong, Yue?"

"Uh…n-no, I'm fine…" Yue stammered, distraught. _Why…why do I feel like this? It's ridiculous to think of something like that._

"Well, we might as well hurry and look for a few more books. We need to get this done before next Friday." Haruna reminded Yue, counting the remaining days of their assignment in her mind.

Yue nodded and then put the medical book back on the shelf. She walked out of the aisle, when a faint sound stopped her in her tracks. It echoed throughout the huge building, so it was hard to pinpoint where it was coming from. Yue disregarded it and followed Haruna's route. But then, the noise became louder, followed by another sound. _They're definitely footsteps but…someone's…yelling?_

That's when she heard their names in a familiar squeaky British accent.

"Yue! Haruna! Where are you?"

Haruna turned toward the sound and asked, "Was that Professor Negi I just heard?"

And as if on cue, the 10 year old homeroom teacher came running around the corner, panting. His reddish hair was all messy, as well as his navy blue suit.

"Professor Negi? W-what's wrong?" Yue asked.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Haruna walked out of the aisle and stood next to Yue. Negi swallowed hard, and sighed a few times before he responded.

"A-asuna sent me…something w-wrong…with…Nodoka…"

Yue's heart palpitated in anxiety. Haruna took a step forward.

"What?"

"Nodoka…collapsed…in the courtyard…Ayaka and Asuna…brought her back…to my dorm…she hasn't woken up yet…but I've been gone a while, so…she may have…awoken." Negi gasped, "Asuna…t-thought that you'd want to know as soon as-"

"What's wrong with her?" Yue suddenly barked. Negi jumped and Haruna looked down at Yue.

"Do they know what is wrong with Nodoka? Well, DO THEY?" Yue demanded an answer. She clenched her fists tightly, and stared straight at Negi. His eyes were as big as dinner plates. Yue never yelled before, and he had never remembered seeing her this flustered before.

"Well, no, not really. You see, they do know that Nodoka had a high fever, but they don't know what's wrong specifically. Once she wakes up, they're going to ask Miss Minamoto to exa-"

But before Negi ended his explanation, Yue ran past him and headed toward the door. Haruna exhaled sharply and dashed after her, calling her name. Negi blinked a couple of times before he followed as well.

Yue sprinted as fast as she could. Nodoka was in trouble.

_I knew it…I knew something was wrong with her today…_

"Yue! Yue, slow down!"

_I'll never forgive myself if something really bad has happened to her…_

"Yue! Wait!"

She ignored her friends' cries.

_I gotta get there…I have to know if Nodoka is all right…just hang on, Bookworm!_

_

* * *

_

"You can come in now" Miss Minamoto told the girls when she opened the door. One by one, they entered the dorm. Konoka sat down on the couch with Ayaka, but Asuna walked over to the bed with Miss Minamoto. Nodoka was asleep again, her face still pale, and her cheeks still a crimson shade. A faint whistling sound leaked out of her mouth whenever she exhaled.

"How is she?" Asuna finally spoke up. Miss Minamoto took a deep breath, and rubbed her chin.

"Well, she does have a high fever, as you already know. The Tylenol brought it down a little, but not a great deal. I advise you keep that washcloth on her head until her temperature decreases a bit more. Also, I checked her lungs and, well…" she paused, trying to search for the right words. "There…there's something strange about her lungs, the left one mostly."

Asuna clenched the hem of her shirt tightly; afraid of what she would hear. Konoka and Ayaka were on edge, hardly blinking.

"When I listened through the stethoscope, I heard a crackling coming from her lungs. That deeply concerns me, and makes me think that she has pneumonia. However, the symptoms aren't acute, so it's hard to tell. She may just have a small bronchial infection. The coughing and wheezing are a dead giveaway. Other than that, she's very weak and confused from the fever. If her hallucinations become worse, then try and make her as comfortable as possible, and don't make her strain herself. Try not to make too much noise; her head is hurting and she should get lots of undisturbed rest." Miss Minamoto started to pack up her equipment.

"If she becomes worse, then alert me as soon as you can. And, if she starts vomiting or coughing up blood, get her to a hospital immediately." Miss Minamoto sternly stressed the last few words. There was no humor in her gaze; only worry and seriousness. She got up and nodded to the girls.

"Thank you so much Miss Minamoto" Ayaka and Konoka bowed to the nurse, and Asuna copied.

"No problem." She turned to the girl in bed and quietly murmured, "Hope you feel better, Miss Nodoka." The purple haired student groaned a response and opened her eyes a tad, but soon closed them again. The nurse then left the dorm.

Asuna sat down on the chair, and sympathetically looked at Nodoka. The girl was moaning loudly, and her closed eyes were twitching. Beads of sweat were plastered on her whitish face. Asuna put a hand on Nodoka's head and asked, "Bookworm, what's wrong?"

A faint reply came back, "I…f-feel…like I'm burning…up…"

Asuna turned to Konoka and asked, "Could you go into the kitchen and refill Nodoka's glass with cold water, please?"

"No problem" and she took the glass and went into the kitchen. Ayaka stood up and walked over to the bed.

"Well, Class Rep, I guess Nodoka won't be in class tomorrow." Asuna told her rival. Ayaka nodded instead of giving Asuna a retort. "I can get someone to bring her the class work she's missed, although in her condition, I'm not sure if she'd be up to completing it."

"Yue or Haruna could probably do it. I'll ask them once they arrive."

Suddenly, Nodoka whimpered, "Yue…Haruna…"

Asuna and Ayaka looked at her, puzzled.

"W-where are you…Yue…Haruna…?"

She started to toss and turn, repeating the names at the top of her voice.

_Poor thing_._ She's so weak and feverish. I hope Negi, Yue, and Haruna get here soon. She wants to see them so badly, _Asuna thought.

"Yue…H-Haruna! Someone…help!" Nodoka started to wail. Asuna shook Nodoka's shoulder at the same time Konoka came in with the glass of water. Nodoka jolted, and her eyes opened wide. She sat up straight, shaking all over. The purple haired girl started to cough again. Asuna rubbed her back and then took the cup from Konoka.

"Bookworm, here; drink some water."

Nodoka looked up at her classmate, tried to comprehend what Asuna told her, and then slowly reached up to the glass with unstable hands. Asuna brought her forward a little and held the glass up to Nodoka's lips, so she wouldn't have to waste strength trying to hold the cup. Nodoka took a long sip, and then swallowed painfully. She could feel the ice cold liquid travel through her body, and she shuddered in response. Asuna set her back down on the bed.

"If you want another drink, let me know, okay Nodoka?"

But before she could answer, the door suddenly swung open and slammed against the wall. Nodoka cowered under the sheets while Asuna, Ayaka, and Konoka all jumped. They turned to see Yue, Haruna, and Negi standing in the room, with the door ajar. They were all panting hard, as well as drenched from the storm outside, and Yue was sweating profusely. Nodoka's eyes opened wide.

"Y-Yue…Haruna…Professor Negi…y-you're here…"

"Nodoka…" Yue breathed, rushing to her friend's side. She clutched the bed railing and knelt down on the ground.

"B-but I thought…t-t-that you had…a project…t-to complete…"

"That doesn't matter right now." Yue harshly replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Well…I f-feel really tired, but…I'm okay…really…"

"That's a load of bull." Haruna spoke up. She turned to Asuna and asked Yue's question.

"Well, Miss Minamoto came in and examined her. She said that Nodoka has a high fever, a terrible cough, and there was…something up with her lungs," Yue's eyes grew wide at this news, "but she said it wasn't life-threatening. Bookworm also said that she was dizzy, and she's been having hot flashes and chills. And she's a little congested. Just your basic symptoms, really, with an exception of a few. Miss Minamoto said that it **may** be a bronchial infection, but the symptoms aren't specific enough." Asuna explained.

Yue held Nodoka's cold, delicate hand in her own and looked at her sickly friend.

"Nodoka…I told you to go to someone for help if you didn't feel too good. Why did you let it go this far?"

Nodoka looked away and whispered, "I…d-didn't want to…bother or worry anyone…"

"Well, you scared us nearly half to death. Especially Yue. She practically popped a blood vessel when she heard." Haruna stated, throwing a small smirk in Yue's direction. Yue shook her head vigorously and yelled, "I DID NOT! I was just worried, that's all! I didn't pop a blood vessel!"

The noise made Nodoka recoil under the covers. Yue noticed this and cursed herself silently for being so disruptive.

"Sorry if we didn't take her to your dorm, you guys, but we weren't sure if we could unlock it, and we were also panicking, sort of." Asuna apologized.

"That's no problem." Haruna replied.

"She's too weak to move, so she'll have to stay here until she recovers. Or at least until she's strong enough to move. We tried to move her earlier, but we couldn't do it."

"That's fine, as long as it doesn't bother you, Konoka, or Professor Negi."

"It's no problem at all." Asuna waved her hand in assurance. Yue stared into Nodoka's beautiful eyes, and seemed to feel lost in them. She felt as if all her worries and problems, as well as Nodoka's, were all gone in this world. Only Ayaka's question snapped her out of the reverie.

"Oh by the way, is it possible for either of you two to pick up missed work for Nodoka? It's pretty obvious that she won't be in tomorrow, but I don't know how many days afterwards either."

"Yes, we can pick up her work." Haruna spoke for the both of them.

Nodoka smiled and whispered hoarsely, "T-thank you guys…"

Yue tightened her grip on Nodoka's hand a little. Ayaka stretched her arms and turned to Asuna.

"Well, I got to be heading back to my dorm. If you need any help, just come and get me."

Asuna blinked twice and gave a surprised reply.

"Uh…okay…" She didn't expect to see this hospitality from her blonde haired rival.

Ayaka waved to Nodoka and cheerfully whispered, "Hope you feel better, Nodoka," and she left.

Negi moved from his spot near the door to the couch, and took a seat next to Konoka.

"Konoka…I'm s-sorry…i-if I'm taking up…your b-bed…" Nodoka apologized. But the brown haired girl just waved dismissively.

"It's all right. I don't mind."

"Still…I'm so sorry…" Nodoka started to cough again, but it subsided rather quickly for once. Yue stroked Nodoka's hair gently, and after a while, Nodoka's eyes started to droop. Asuna got up, looked at the clock, and pushed the hair away from her face.

"Well, I should get dinner started. It's kind of late." She turned to Negi and Konoka, "What do you guys want for dinner?"

Negi shrugged and Konoka answered, "It doesn't really matter." Asuna sighed and turned to Nodoka.

"Bookworm, do you want anything to eat?"

The girl's eyes opened, but she just shrugged. Asuna walked to the kitchen, deciding to make soup. Haruna sat down next to Yue, and rested her arms on her lap.

Suddenly, Nodoka sat up quickly and let out a shriek. Everyone jumped, and stood confused. Nodoka squirmed out from under the covers and pushed herself to the top end of the bed.

"Nodoka, what's the matter?" Yue asked in alarm. Nodoka pointed a shaky finger to the middle of the bed. Yue pulled the covers up a little to see a white and black furry tail swinging back and forth. Yue yanked the covers off, and sitting there in the middle of the bed was Chamo, Negi's pet ermine. His eyes were wide with alarm.

"Chamo!" Negi squeaked, grabbing him by the tail and lifted him off the bed. A yell came from the creature.

"Hey! Easy on the tail, Brotha Negi!" Chamo squirmed in Negi's grasp. Asuna came storming over to the ermine; Negi was ready for steam to start coming out of her ears.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Asuna looked ready to strangle the animal.

"Erm, well…I, uh, I…was looking for my carton of cigarettes! Yeah, that's it." Chamo stammered. He silently congratulated himself for creating such a clever yarn. Unfortunately for him, no one really bought it. Asuna growled at Chamo, making him feel uneasy.

"Yeah, right. Knowing you and your…panty fetish…you were trying to take Nodoka's underwear. Am I right?"

Nodoka gasped and her face turned a bright shade of ruby red. She covered her mouth with her hands and started to tremble.

Chamo went limp and sighed. He knew he was a dead man…um, ermine.

"…kinda…"

Negi gasped and shook the ermine lightly. "Chamo, how could you?"

Chamo smiled slyly and muttered, "What can I say? I'm curious"

Asuna clutched Chamo by the neck, making him gasp for breath.

"Yeah? Well, you're also dead!"

"Hey, g-give me a break, Little Sister! Y-you know me and my antics!"

"That doesn't mean that you can do that to Nodoka!" She looked up from choking Chamo and asked, "Are you okay, Nodoka?"

The sick girl nodded and settled back under the covers.

"I promise I won't let this pervert do anything to you while you're here." Asuna pointed to the ermine.

Negi tapped Asuna's shoulder and stated, "Um, I could take Chamo and talk to him while you prepare dinner."

Asuna looked Negi straight in the eye, still steamed, but she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tossed Chamo to the young teacher.

"Fine. **You** smack some sense into that disgusting pet of yours."

Yue and Haruna sweat-dropped, but Konoka giggled. _Never a dull moment in this school, _she thought. Yue looked at Nodoka, who had fallen asleep despite the excitement going on in the room. Yue smiled and brushed the purple hair away from her sleeping friend's face. _She looks so cute when she's asleep. So contented and just flat out adorable…Whoa! Wait! Stop thinking about stuff like that!_

Haruna looked at Yue and noticed that once again, her friend was blushing a great deal. But she didn't say anything about it.

Yue dared to gaze at Nodoka's face again, and her heart flip-flopped. She shook her head, trying to clear it. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the dorm. The deafening thunder followed the strike of light. Nodoka fidgeted in her slumber, but didn't fully wake up.

"Man, it's coming down hard." Asuna gaped at the window, watching the rain pour. The sound of the rain was muffled and echoed through the room, displaying how hard it down poured.

Asuna started to boil water in a pot for soup, when a sudden thought popped into her head.

"Negi, tomorrow, I won't be in class." The ten year old looked up from scolding his pet. "I'll stay here and look after Nodoka."

"I'll stay here too." Yue suddenly spoke. Asuna shook her head.

"No, you should go to class."

"No, I'll stay." Yue firmly insisted.

Haruna put her hand on Yue's shoulder. "I know you want to look after Nodoka, but you should go to class. We have another test tomorrow, and it's important."

"Haruna's right. You should come to class." Negi agreed. Konoka nodded.

"You can come and see Nodoka after classes let out" Asuna promised.

Yue sighed, frustrated, but knowing she wouldn't win the argument.

"Fine. But tonight, I want to stay here, by her side."

"Suit yourself. Just try and get some rest." Asuna shrugged as she ripped opened a packet of chicken noodle soup.

Yue's legs were starting to grow numb from kneeling on the ground, but she didn't care. She stayed where she was, staring at Nodoka while she slept. Every once in a while, Nodoka would let out a small cough or whimper, and it would startle Yue at first, but she would relax once Nodoka settled again.

Konoka and Negi decided to go back to their usual routine; Negi was looking over his lesson plans for tomorrow, so he had his books sprawled out around him on the floor, and he sat in the middle of the ring. Konoka was reading a book on the couch. The only sound heard was both Nodoka's and Chamo's breathing. After the lecture he received from Negi, Chamo fell fast asleep on the other end of the couch. Thunder crashed and lightning struck every now and again.

When the soup was finally done, Asuna brought over a bowl for Yue, Haruna, and one for Nodoka. She wasn't sure if the girl would have an appetite at all, but just in case.

Yue felt bad having to wake her friend up from her nap, but she nonetheless gently shook Nodoka's shoulder until the girl opened her eyes.

"Sorry to wake you up, Bookworm, but Asuna made some soup. Do you want some?"

Nodoka stayed silent for a little while before quietly uttering, "Maybe just a l-little…"

Yue used her hand to support Nodoka's back as she sat up upright. Haruna fixed her pillow arrangement so that Nodoka could lean back on the pillows and still be sitting up a little to eat. Yue handed the bowl to Nodoka, who took it and held it in her lap, her hands still clutching it.

While they ate, they started talking and laughing. Even Nodoka cheered up a little bit and joined the conversation. Yue lightened up too. About an hour passed by when Asuna looked at her clock, which read 9:13 p.m. Nodoka had already put her bowl on the tray and fell back to sleep. She had hardly eaten the soup, but she at least drank the broth and stayed up until she could hardly keep her eyes open. Asuna took her temperature and the thermometer read 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit. _I guess the Tylenol wore off a bit. _She refilled the bowl of water with new liquid, and dipped the washcloth in it. While putting it back on Nodoka's head, Haruna had filled a small medicine cup with Tylenol.

Nodoka drank the medication but fell right back to sleep. Yue was slightly disturbed by the sudden drowsiness coming from her friend.

"Well, I'm going to turn in for the night. I still have papers to deliver in the morning." Asuna yawned, and stretched her arms. She took her pajamas and disappeared into the bathroom. Konoka was already dressed in her pajamas, and was setting up her bed on the couch. Chamo was still sleeping, but Negi had moved him to **his **bed, and Negi was setting up a bed on the floor for Haruna.

"Yue, where do you want to sleep?" the British accented boy chimed. Yue didn't take her eyes off of Nodoka when she said, "I'll stay here."

"Huh?"

"I'll sleep right here. In this chair."

"Are you sure, Yue? I would think it's uncomfortable to sleep in a chair."

"No, I'm fine. Really, don't worry about it."

Negi gave up, and finished setting up Haruna's bed.

"Thank you so much, Professor. Tomorrow, I'll sleep in my own dorm." Haruna thanked Negi as she climbed into bed.

"It's no trouble at all." Negi nodded, and he climbed into his own bed.

Asuna came back out ofthe bathroom, dressed in grayish flannel pajamas. As she went to climb the bed to the top bunk, she turned to Yue and clarified, "If you need me for anything at all, or if there is an emergency, you come and wake me up. Okay?"

Once Yue nodded, Asuna climbed into bed. Soon, all that was heard was the rain pounding on the roof and the quiet snores of the students and teacher. All except Yue; she stayed up for a while, looking at Nodoka. She started to nod off around 11:30 p.m. She took one more look at Nodoka before closing her eyes for the night.

_Please…get well Bookworm…_

_

* * *

_

**Awwwww! So cute! ^^ Yue's starting to notice something different in her relationship w/Nodoka. OOh! **

**And don't worry: No ermines were harmed in the making of this fan fiction...I think...**

**Well, I gotta get back to this stupid book for English class **

**Until next chapter, Sayonara! **


	4. Yue's Daydream

**AN: Hey, guys! It's been a while. But I've been working on the whole Tainted Souls thing, and I also started a bunch of new fan fictions, including the School Rumble and Spice and Wolf ones. So I haven't had much time to start Chapter 4. **

**Poor Nodoka just gets worse as this goes along. And Yue starts to love her more and more. That's basically the main point of this chapter; to go in depth with that. Setsuna, Konoka, Kazumi, Negi, and Sayo will all play into this story somehow. Can't wait until that comes! I love all those characters! **

**I want to thank Wombat-Mel and her friends for reading and liking this story! They have given me a TON of motivation for this story. X3 and thanks to moonlightwolfwhisperer for reading and reviewing!**

**I think around Chapter 5 or 6, the seriousness starts. I'm not going to beat around the bush too much, even though I want this story to be a bit long. Like 10 chapters or so. **

**And just a short WARNING; there is a bit of sexual references and parts in this chapter. But it's NOT going to be extreme; just a bit steamy hahaha :D**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like it!**

**

* * *

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_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

The alarm shook Nodoka out of her dream. She sat up, startled. Yue and Haruna also jolted awake, looking around confused. Negi, Konoka, and Chamo, however, stayed asleep. Yue rubbed her eyes sleepily and turned her attention to Asuna, who was climbing down from her bunk.

"Asuna…?" Yue asked drowsily. Asuna held up her finger to her lips, to tell Yue to quiet down. The orange-haired girl then looked to Nodoka and insisted, "Go back to sleep, Bookworm. I just got to go deliver papers. I'll be back before you guys take off for class." She turned to Yue at that last part.

Nodoka nodded, and lay back underneath the warm covers. She still heard the rain outside. It hadn't let up from yesterday, but at least the thunder and lightning had stopped. The dull sound of the drops on the roof lulled the weak girl back to sleep rather quickly. Haruna was already asleep in her make-shift bed. Yue watched Asuna get ready to go to her job.

"You should go back to sleep too, Yue."

"No, I'm fine"

"All right. But you'll be awfully tired when you get up for school." Asuna shrugged, taking her light blue jumpsuit and walking into the bathroom. Yue rubbed her eyes again, and then looked at Nodoka. _She's so adorable, _Yue thought. In frustration, she shook her head and silently cursed herself. _Would you stop thinking about those things? And besides, she's attracted to Professor Negi. _Yue opened her eyes wide, unsure of why she reflected on that.

Asuna came back out, fully dressed, took her dark gray bag, and headed out the door.

"I'll be back." And then she was gone.

Yue felt sleepy herself, so she closed her eyes for what felt like two minutes but was really another hour and a half. Haruna gently shook Yue's shoulder. The blue haired girl lifted her head groggily.

"Yue, its 7:30. We got to get ready for school."

Yue rubbed her eyes and looked at Nodoka. The girl hadn't woken up yet, but the sleep didn't seem to be making any difference in her health. Her face was still ashen and her eyes looked pressed into her face a little bit.

Haruna also gazed at Nodoka, and then reassured Yue by saying, "She'll be fine. We will only be gone for a few hours."

Yue sighed and got her things together for school. She changed into her uniform and zipped up her book bag.

Asuna had already returned from her paper route. She was rummaging through many items in the kitchen, to make breakfast for her and Nodoka. Chamo was bugging her; she could hear Asuna threatening the ermine, followed by his sarcastic retorts.

Negi had already left to get his lessons planned and to get to the classroom early. Konoka was ready to go, but waited patiently at the door for Haruna and Yue.

Once the two were ready, Yue glanced back at her sick friend, and whispered, "I'll be back. Hope you feel better, Nodoka."

The three girls headed out the door and walked across the campus. Yue could not get her mind off of her friend. The image of Nodoka lying there, helpless and weak, scared her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop worrying.

Haruna put her arm around Yue's shoulders. "Don't worry about her, Yue. The more you worry, the worse you'll feel."

Yue took a deep breath and fudged a smile. _What's the point in worrying myself sick? It won't change anything. _

But still, Yue still couldn't help feeling that this sickness may take a huge toll on her friend.

_Please…be strong, Nodoka…_

_

* * *

_

It felt as if her body was made entirely of lead. Nodoka couldn't move her legs at all. She ached all over, and when she fidgeted in the bed, they screamed at her in protest. She moaned loudly, and inhaled painfully. Not only did her muscles complain, but her lungs did as well.

She stretched her eyes open and saw that Asuna and Chamo were in the kitchen, quietly talking to each other.

"Asuna…?"

The chatter immediately stopped. Asuna ran over to the bed.

"Hey, Bookworm. How are you feeling?"

Nodoka waited to answer her question, taking into account her body's condition. Added with the fact that her body felt as if she had just run a marathon, Nodoka noticed that her throat burned with a greater intensity than yesterday. She was so out of breath that it seemed as if someone was sitting on her chest. Her eyes stung like the devil, and her head felt as if it was twirling around. The vertigo grew suddenly, and in reply, Nodoka held her head and moaned loudly.

"Still feeling bad, huh?" Asuna could plainly see the symptoms presenting themselves. She laid a hand on Nodoka's forehead and sighed in frustration.

"I swear, that fever just doesn't want to leave. I'll take your temperature."

But Nodoka didn't hear that last part because her thoughts jumped back to one of her main concerns…

"Where's…Y-Yue…a-a-and Haruna…?" She weakly called after Asuna.

"They both left for school about…two and a half hours ago." Asuna explained, sticking the thermometer under Nodoka's tongue and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"You were asleep when they left, but they said goodbye to you. They'll be back after school." She assured the small girl. They then stayed quiet until the stick started beeping, and Asuna took it from Nodoka's mouth.

"Aw, geez. You still have a 102 temp." Asuna laid her hand on Nodoka's head. "I'll go get you some more medicine, 'kay Nodoka?"

The purple haired girl leaked out a groan of understanding, and wrapped the covers tightly around her frail body. Either someone had turned up the air conditioning or Nodoka's temperature made it seem the room was below zero. Nodoka's teeth chattered as she shook violently.

Asuna didn't acknowledge the sign right away, but after she gave Nodoka the medicine, she decided to mention it.

"Bookworm, are you cold?"

Nodoka nodded slightly. "Y-y-yes-s-s As-s-suna…i-is there a ch-chill in the air…or is it just m-me…?"

Asuna started to grow concerned. _Is her fever worse than I thought? _"It's…just you, Bookworm. The heat is on in here." _This is bad. She's shaking like a leaf; the poor thing. _

Asuna walked over to Negi's bed, yanked off the comforter and spread it across Nodoka. Though the shivering did not go away completely, it at least diminished a little. Nodoka coughed, and then turned over on her left side. Asuna stood up and headed for the kitchen.

"So, what do you want for breakfast, Nodoka?"

The thought of food made Nodoka's stomach turn. She moaned, "I-I'm not hungry…"

Asuna looked at Nodoka with a glimmer of anxiety lighting her eyes. "You really should have at least a little bit to eat. You hardly had any dinner last night. And you didn't have any lunch during the day yesterday."

Nodoka lowered her gaze from Asuna's, remembering events. Last night, her stomach wasn't complaining as much as it was today, but she still didn't eat the soup. However, she drank the broth. And beforehand, her dizziness had increased her nausea, so she skipped lunch yesterday. So, technically, her last meal was yesterday's breakfast.

But, still; Nodoka, even though she wasn't overflowing with queasiness, didn't think anything would agree with her at the moment. Therefore, Nodoka continued to shake her head until Asuna shrugged and went back into the kitchen.

"Suit yourself. But if you are hungry at all, just let me know, okay?"

"Y-yes…thanks Asuna…" Nodoka squeaked, full of gratitude. _Asuna is doing so much for me, and without asking for anything in return. _While she was thinking about this, Nodoka couldn't help but feel a bit bad that her classmate had to take time out of her school day to look after her.

Asuna quickly cleaned up the kitchen, and then walked over to the living room, thinking about Nodoka's loss of appetite.

_I know that she feels sick, but she won't gain her strength back if she doesn't eat something._

She looked down at her ailing friend, who had closed her eyes and was trying to sleep, but from the look of things, was having trouble because of her stomach and dizziness. Asuna let out a quiet sigh, and thought, _well, maybe by lunch she'll be hungry. And as long as she's not throwing up or coughing up blood, there's no need to be overreacting. _Miss Minamoto's warning had stuck inside Asuna's head and made her worry well into the night, preventing her from sleeping right away. Even though she eventually fell asleep, the forewarning hadn't left her.

Every time Nodoka would breathe either in or out, she would wheeze. _Maybe she does have a bronchial infection. That's usually a dead giveaway when someone has something wrong with their lungs, _Asuna thought.

She tucked a lock of orange hair behind her ear as she thought about what to do. She wanted Nodoka to sleep, so Asuna decided that one of the quietest things that she could do was catch up on her homework. She had neglected her work because Nodoka had fainted in the courtyard, and Asuna was busy caring for her the rest of the day.

So, Asuna took her books and supplies out of her backpack, sat down at the katana in the middle of the room, and started to work. Nodoka fidgeted and moaned, but settled down again. Asuna kept her mind focused both on Nodoka and her work.

_I hope Yue will stop worrying so much, _Asuna thought, scratching her head from a difficult English question.

* * *

Different conversations mixed with each other, filling Class 2A with a semi-loud cloud of chatter. Almost everyone was speaking to one another; that is, with the exception of Yue and Haruna. Despite the reassurances from her friends, Yue couldn't stop worrying about her poor, sick friend.

_Nodoka…the poor girl…_

Yue closed her eyes, feeling her cheeks become hot again once again. But she just disregarded it this time. That confused her a great deal; why did she feel funny whenever she thought of Nodoka? Even when the girl's name was mentioned, her heart flip-flopped and her stomach bubbled with a strange ecstasy. It was something that Yue couldn't pinpoint the reason for.

She closed her eyes and let her mind wander, trying to get rid of the uneasiness.

_Through closed eyes, she saw her pal Nodoka standing there, in her school uniform and with her back turned to Yue. The blue haired girl walked toward her friend, and once she was close enough, she tapped Nodoka on the shoulder, and in turn, Nodoka jumped a bit and turned around sharply. But she calmed down once she saw it was her best friend. _

"_Yue…"_

"_Hey, Bookworm. What's up?"_

_Nodoka started wringing her hands, and murmured before she took a deep breath and started talking._

"_Um, Yue…I, uh…I have something to s-say…"_

_Yue cocked her head to the side, confused by the seriousness in her pal's tone. Nodoka placed her hands on her heart and breathed deeply, nervous as all hell._

"_Nodoka, are you all right?" Yue asked, concerned. Nodoka looked Yue straight in the eye, her gaze serious. This startled Yue; her friend never gave anyone such a solemn stare. _

"_Yue…I need to say…that I'm __not__ in love…with Professor Negi"_

_Yue blinked a few times, trying to see if she heard correctly. Nodoka was always crushing over Negi, ever since he came to Mahora Academy. She even confessed her love to him when they visited an amusement park by the name of Magical Land. Why would she suddenly change like this?_

"_Then…who __are__ you in love with?"_

_Nodoka paused, before smiling slightly and simply answering,_

"_You"_

_Yue's heart lurched. 'What?' she thought, 'She's in love with me?" _

_Nodoka reached and grabbed Yue's shoulders and gripped them tightly._

"_I love you, Yue. I…I was always in love with you; from the start. I just…I couldn't express my feelings to you."_

_Nodoka looked away, her purple bangs hiding her eyes. Yue just stared at her blankly. The confession had left her baffled. She didn't know how to react at first, but after staying silent for a while, she reflected on how she had felt in the past, and came up with an answer._

_Yue put a hand on Nodoka's, and answered coolly, "Nodoka…I never knew…"_

"_Yes, I…know how strange it may seem. But we've been best friends forever, and...I…I just-"_

_Nodoka roughly turned around, hiding her face. But Yue could tell that she was ready to cry from embarrassment. _

"_I'm sorry…to tell you this so suddenly…and I'll understand if you want to stop being friends…but…p-p-please…"_

_Yue took Nodoka's shoulder and forced her to turn back around. Nodoka still didn't look at Yue, but Yue felt Nodoka's face with her hand. _

"_Of course I want to be your friend."_

_Tears fell down Nodoka's face. She squeezed her eyes shut and started to whimper._

"_Hey, what's the matter?" Yue asked, inching closer to Nodoka's face. Nodoka looked away and apologized,_

"_I am so sorry Yue! I'm…I'm sorry…"_

_Yue smiled slightly, and guided Nodoka's face to look at her own. _

"_Nodoka, there's nothing to be sorry about. The truth is…I think I'm in love with you too."_

_Nodoka's eyes grew three times their normal size. Yue felt all tingly all over; as if she had pins and needles all over her body. Her heart was thumping a mile a minute, echoing in Yue's ears; the noise could've woken the dead. _

_Nodoka smiled, and drew closer to Yue; who started to caress Nodoka's cheek with her finger._

_(__**WARNING**__: Sexual content, but not lemon style, k? it's not going to go that far lol but it will get steamy)_

_Suddenly, Nodoka pressed her lips against Yue's. Normally, a person would shy away from the move, but Yue was strangely okay with it. And more than that, a strange sensation of lust zipped through her bloodstream. Her body wanted some type of release. And she wanted Nodoka to be the one to free her. She leaned into the kiss; adrenaline and Nodoka's scent making her seem drunk. Yue could distinguish the strong taste of cherry Chapstick from Nodoka's supple lips. _

_Yue broke the kiss to breathe, before diving back in and claiming Nodoka's lips again. She heard her best friend moan in ecstasy, and noticed that Nodoka's hands were sliding up and down Yue's body slowly, sending chills down Yue's spine._

_She threw her head back and moaned loudly. Nodoka backed Yue up against a wall and started kissing up her neck. Goosebumps formed all over Yue's body and she shuddered from the feeling of Nodoka's warm breath on her next. Then, Nodoka locked their lips yet again. Yue, in return, started poking her tongue at Nodoka's tightly-pressed lips, wanting entrance into her mouth. Nodoka allowed and moaned deeply as Yue started to French-kiss her. _

_Yue abruptly broke away again, and panted while Nodoka was still feeling her._

"_Nodoka…I…I want you…to release me…please…" Yue tugged at Nodoka's shirt, desperately wanting to yank it off the girl. _

_As if the girl understood, Nodoka kissed Yue's forehead, and went to unbutton Yue's blouse when…_

"HEY YUE!"

Yue sat up, startled. She looked around her, trying to remember where she was. It didn't take long to realize that she was in Class 2A. Everyone was still talking around her.

It took a few minutes to recognize the voice; it was Haruna's. And she was standing next to Yue's desk, along with Konoka and Setsuna; a dark-blue haired classmate, who was a samurai, and one of Konoka's best friends.

Yue wiped the thick sheet of sweat off her brow, before gulping and starting shakily, "Heh, s-sorry, guys." She smiled sheepishly, but the expressions on Haruna, Konoka, and Setsuna's faces didn't change, making Yue very uneasy.

"Are you feeling sick too, Yue?" Haruna asked, staring her square in the eye.

"You were moaning in your sleep" Konoka explained. Setsuna nodded in confirmation. Yue swallowed hard, thinking; _Ugh, I am such an idiot! Having dreams such as that! It's repulsive! And you almost gave yourself away! _

Yue smiled, and reassured, "I'm fine, guys. I was just daydreaming, really. I'll be all right; you just scared the crap outta me, that's all." She laughed nervously. Konoka and Setsuna looked at each other, but then bowed and left the two.

Haruna stared at Yue. "You sure you're fine?"

Yue nodded, then pulled out a book from her bag and started to read, trying to get her mind off of the dream. It felt so real. And the feeling of passion and desire was so invigorating. But Yue shook her head; she still felt strange all over and didn't want to express it so obviously.

* * *

"Miss Konoka, is everything okay with Yue? She seems more tired than usual." Setsuna asked her friend Konoka, once they were out of Yue's and Haruna's range of hearing.

"Oh, well, you see; you know how Nodoka is absent?"

Setsuna nodded.

"Well, she, Ayaka, and Asuna were running to the dorms in the rain, when she fainted. She was really sick, and so she stayed in bed and Asuna is watching her today."

"Oh God! Is Nodoka okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. I mean, even though she fainted, it's not as severe as one would think."

Setsuna rubbed her chin and asked Konoka, "Do you think it'll be all right if we go visit her during lunch break?"

"You want to go and visit her?" Konoka asked, smiling at the fact that Setsuna cared so much.

"Yeah. To see how she is and maybe try to cheer her up. And also to report to Yue, so she won't have to worry."

"Sure" Konoka beamed. _Setsuna is so caring!_

Suddenly, the door slid open, and the class went back to their seats as Professor Negi walked into the room. Setsuna made a mental note to ask the professor if Konoka and she could go visit Nodoka. She glanced over at Yue, who was staring down at her notebook, face beet red.

_Why did I dream of Nodoka and I…getting intimate? Why?_

_

* * *

_

**AN: YAY! Sorry for the little bit in there but, you know, it was needed (?)**

**Anywhoo, I hope u liked it!**

**The next chapter is the MOST INTENSE CHAPTER YET! And I mean that in emotions-wise, not sex-wise. Hahaha anywhoo, see u next chapter! Please read and review! Thankies! **


	5. A Turn for the Worst

**AN: This was LOOOONG Over due! But because of severe writer's block, I've had a hard time writing both "A Little Comfort", "Internal Hell" and "Blood Relations"**

**But, after watching some Negima, I got a little bit of inspiration! So I worked on this until 1 am last night! and it still wasn't done! **

**And I apologize that this is so long! But I had to fit everything in this chapter in the same chapter because...thats the way I had it planned before**

**Anywho...I hope you like it! This is where everything takes a turn for the worst!**

**

* * *

**"_Yue…?"_

_Nodoka glanced around, seeing if her blue-haired friend would answer to her call. But there was no answer._

"_Yue…Yue where are you?"_

_Still no answer._

_Nodoka held her head in her hands. The thick, hot fog in the air was making her feel nauseous. It was as if someone was trying to strangle her, or like someone was stabbing her stomach; the air was that thick and the pain was unbearable. She had to find Yue, or some fresh air, before Nodoka passed out from the heat._

_She decided to sprint at full speed, searching for Yue. _

"_Are you here, Yue?" _

_No answer._

"_Yue!" _

_Nodoka stopped running and stood panting, trying to catch her breath. 'She has to be around here somewhere' Nodoka thought. _

_Suddenly, Nodoka turned a corner and found herself in the library; her sanctuary. The library was her go-to place whenever she needed to get something done, or when she wanted to get away from the craziness of her class and outside life. Surrounded by many books, Nodoka could be entertained for hours, and because of her library and literary expertise, she was dubbed Book Worm, was in the Library Club, and became a Librarian. Whenever one of the Mahora Academy students needed her help, she'd be able to find whatever they were looking for in the blink of an eye. _

_In any event, Nodoka was puzzled as to how she had gotten there in the first place. The air was thick with silence; it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Nodoka glanced around the huge building, looking for any signs of life. However, there were none that Nodoka could see right away. _

_Only when Nodoka turned to look behind did she see the only other person in the entire building; Yue. Nodoka jumped nearly three feet in the air when she spotted her blue-haired companion, sitting in a chair, holding an open book in her hands. Nodoka yelped and stumbled backwards, falling hard on her rear. Yue glanced to her side, saw Nodoka on the floor, and in one swift motion, she dropped her book and ran to help her friend up._

"_Bookworm, are you okay?" she asked, kneeling down next to Nodoka. The purple-haired girl propped herself on her elbows and opened one eye, the other closed in slight pain._

"_Yeah, I'm fine…" She started, but her voice trailed off once she looked into Yue's eyes. Her friend had deep blue eyes that sparkled like sunshine on the ocean water. And once Nodoka was caught in her glimmering eyes, she couldn't break from the trance. It was as if everything had disappeared around her and her entire body had gone numb. But why? _

_Nodoka could feel her face becoming hot as Yue continued to look into her eyes. Her heart pounded a million miles an hour, her stomach twisted up in knots, and her arms started to shake. From her angle, Nodoka thought Yue looked cute, leaning over her, her eyebrows scrunched up in worry for Nodoka. The sun filtered in from a window behind Yue, making her features more radiant, and expressing her beauty even more than usual. 'Why…oh why do I feel like this?' the librarian girl thought._

_It wasn't only this time that she felt these feelings; no matter what place or what time, whenever she was with Yue, she felt lighter than air and also very nervous. She could never understand why she felt like this, but since it never went away, no matter how much she tried to, she couldn't shake these thoughts. _

_Yue stared at Nodoka for a few more minutes before she slowly leaned in closer, her cheeks blushing in lust. Nodoka felt her heart palpitate and she wanted to shy away, but her body wouldn't move; it was as if she was glued to the spot. She could feel herself becoming warm, and her temperature rose even higher when she felt Yue's hand cupping her face, her thumb stroking her pallid skin. _

"_You know, Nodoka…you look…so adorable…"_

_Nodoka's heart leapt and performed a somersault in her chest. Yue smiled, a sparkle of affection shining in her deep blue eyes. Yue moved in even closer, wetting her lips slightly, and then pressed her lips against Nodoka's. _

_Nodoka's eyes widened to three times their size and a warm sensation flooded Nodoka's senses with passion. Nodoka closed her eyes and moaned lightly, feeling Yue's hand massaging her shoulder and sending electric jolts through her body. Nodoka broke the kiss and tilted her head back, her senses dulling with lust. Yue kissed Nodoka's neck, and then sucked on it gently, earning another moan from her friend. Nodoka thought that there was no doubt there would be a hickey there the next day._

_But before Yue could do anything else, Nodoka snapped out of her love-filled reverie and backed away from Yue, panting heavily. Yue stood up slowly and looked at Nodoka in confusion. Nodoka felt her heart twist when couldn't help but see a trace of hurt in Yue's expression._

"_What's the matter, Bookworm?" she asked innocently, walking slowly toward Nodoka. _

"_W-w-what…w-we…I, uh…" a flustered Nodoka answered breathlessly. "We shouldn't be doing this! This is wrong, Yue!"_

_Yue cringed as if the words bore into her skin like daggers. Nodoka immediately took note of this and bowed to her friend._

"_I'm sorry…I'm s-sorry…b-but…I-"_

_She stopped abruptly when Yue lunged forward and hugged Nodoka, wrapping her arms around her waist. Nodoka blinked in surprise, but stayed still and didn't say anything._

"_Bookworm…listen…I'm sorry I…came on to you like that…it's just…" Yue took a deep breath, "I can't help myself…you're beautiful, Nodoka…you're smart…a-and…I…"_

_Yue looked up at Nodoka, and ran her hand through Nodoka's purple locks. Nodoka shivered in turn and looked down at her friend. Yue's gaze hardened with seriousness._

"_I think I'm in love with you…" she admitted, a bit of sensitivity showing through her serious stare. Nodoka inhaled sharply and felt her body tense up once again. 'Y-Yue…in love…with me?', she thought frantically. Yue clutched Nodoka's waist even harder and her voice started to quiver._

"_I know…that you're in love…with Professor Negi…b-but…I…I couldn't…I…I'm sorry"_

_Yue looked down, avoiding Nodoka's gaze this time, her arms trembling. Nodoka simply looked on in amazement. Yue had never acted this upset about anything before, but this confession seemed to throw her off emotion-wise. Nodoka let her body relax and she hugged Yue back. A small squeak left Yue's mouth and Nodoka flinched, worrying that she had hurt her friend in any way. But when Yue looked up at Nodoka, the purple-haired girl was surprised to find that tears were bubbling in Yue's beautiful blue eyes. And that one moment made Nodoka's whole body shudder, and she realized what she was feeling inside. It wasn't illness or uneasiness, but rather something entirely different._

"_Yue…there's no need to cry…"_

"_Yes there is…I…I'm such an idiot…I d-don't even know why I t-t-told you something so stupid…f-forgive me-"_

_Nodoka silenced Yue's apology by taking the girl's face and pulling her close, this time __she__ kissed __Yue__, and not the other way around. It was Yue's turn to be surprised about the kissing, but she also gave in to the tingling sensation of her touch. _

_Nodoka once more broke the kiss and whispered into Yue's ear, "You are NOT an idiot! You're very smart too. And very pretty and well…I…"_

_Yue waited in half-anticipation for Nodoka to finish her sentence, while Nodoka took a deep breath and smiled._

"_I think I'm in love with you too." She finally finished. _

_She could feel a shiver coming from Yue, not just because of Nodoka's breath on her ear, but also because of the answer that Yue did not expect to receive._

_She looked up at Nodoka, full surprised, but falling under Nodoka's trance once more. Nodoka wrapped her arms around Yue's waist, as Yue did hers. _

_Nodoka's chin rested on top of Yue's blue head and she pulled Yue closer to her body. Yue relaxed against Yue's body and sighed lightly, clutching Nodoka's shirt in her hand._

"_I love you, Yue…" Nodoka removed her chin and leaned in to kiss Yue again…_

_

* * *

_

Nodoka opened her eyes slowly, the light above her making her eyes water. She lifted her arm over her eyes, shielding them from the bright light. It didn't help her headache in the slightest; it only made the incredible pounding in her skull worse.

Deciding to avoid another spear of pain in her temples, she turned over on her side with a small groan. Due to her high temperature, lying under such thick comforters made her sweat buckets. Also, her legs kept getting tangled in the covers, and it was a pain to move her shaky legs out from under the blanket trap.

"Ohhh…" she groaned out loud, finding that the position on her side felt even more uncomfortable than when she was on her back. So, she flipped over onto her stomach and buried her face in the pillows. _Maybe laying on my stomach will help…with the nausea, _she thought, trying to fall back asleep. Ever since that morning, her belly ached with a big intensity. Though she turned down the thought of food earlier that day, around lunchtime, Nodoka felt a little hungry, so Asuna had made some soup for her. Nodoka managed to keep the meal down, but that didn't stop her stomach from torturing the girl. And now the knot was tightening nearly every second; it was the main symptom that was preventing her from sleeping.

For a split second, Nodoka felt a tickle in her nose, but before she could even breathe in, she let out a huge sneeze that made her eyes cross. The force had caused her chest to ache and she coughed in discomfort. Through her episode, Nodoka could hear Asuna's footsteps nearing her. She looked up to see Asuna sitting on the bedside, her hand rubbing Nodoka's back gently.

"Hey Bookworm, feeling any better?" she asked, smiling slightly. Nodoka took a deep breath and shook her head from side to side.

"N-no…I kind of feel worse…"

Asuna's smile ran away at Nodoka's sentence, and she pressed her palm against Nodoka's forehead. The corners of her mouth tightened in frustration.

"You're still hot. Damn, you must've caught one tough bug." Asuna muttered, brushing the bangs away from Nodoka's face. Her eyes scanned Nodoka over, noticing wet spots on her pajamas on her shoulders, back, and around her neck. Nodoka's face glimmered with perspiration as well.

"We better get you out of those pajamas, Bookworm. You're soaked through." She ran her hand along the semi-dark stain of sweat on Nodoka's back. The smaller girl shivered when Asuna's hand made contact with her back. Nodoka looked about her body and spotted the sweat stains on her pajamas.

"You can borrow a pair of mine for the time being, although they may be a little big on you" Asuna explained, getting up and walking to her dresser. Nodoka lied back down and covered herself with the blankets, desperately trying to stop the chills from zipping through her body.

"Asuna…" Nodoka moaned, "…w-what…what t-t-time is it…?"

Asuna looked back at Nodoka in confusion, but answered nonetheless.

"It's almost two o' clock. Why?"

Nodoka groaned and once more hid her head in the pillow, which was damp with perspiration. She had dreadfully tried to catch up on her sleep, but the condition her body was in prevented a good sleep. Instead, she settled into a fitful slumber which made her wake up every few minutes or so. Only about fifteen minutes ago, Nodoka had managed to fall asleep, but due to her stomach hurting, and her unsettling dreams woke her up. All she wanted to do was sleep forever, and wake up feeling great.

Asuna pulled a pair of pink flannel pajamas out of her bureau drawer, and sat back down on Nodoka's bed. She watched Nodoka with sympathy and placed the pajamas on Nodoka's stomach.

"Here; Do you need help changing?" Asuna asked Nodoka right away. Nodoka shook her head slightly and murmured, "No…n-no I'm all right…"

Asuna stood up to wander into the kitchen and left Nodoka in privacy to change. As she walked away, Asuna felt sorry for the smaller girl.

_She hasn't gotten any better since this morning…If this continues, I'll have to take her to the emergency clinic…_

With difficulty, Nodoka managed to peel the sweaty pajamas off her body and change into the fresh new ones; it took a good ten to fifteen minutes to accomplish and once it was done, Nodoka settled back underneath the covers, shivering again. Suddenly, her stomach lurched and she gagged in surprise. She sat up straight, breathing heavily, waiting for her stomach to lurch again. However, it never did, so Nodoka once more rested on the bed.

Asuna noticed that Nodoka was done changing, so she sauntered back into the living room, sat down on the edge of the bed, and turned to Nodoka.

"So, Nodoka, how are you feeling?" she asked again, seeking more detail this time. Nodoka sighed, shifted her body so that she was lying on her back and facing Asuna.

"W-w-well…it's basically t-the same stuff…but my…my s-s-stomach hurts…a lot…" Nodoka whined, embarrassed that she sounded like a sick, little kid.

Asuna straightened up a little in apprehension, but Nodoka didn't notice.

"Are you feeling nauseous?"

"Y-yeah…"

Asuna didn't want to hear those words; the warning Miss Minamoto gave her haunted her and she was on her guard for any signs. This only added to Asuna's anxiety. She extended her hand toward Nodoka, sifted her fingers through Nodoka's hair and smiled slightly again.

"I'll go get you some stomach medicine, all right? But if you feel like you're going to puke, let me know, okay?" Asuna got up once again to get some Pepto-Bismol, while Nodoka nodded and rested her eyes for a little while.

In the darkness that was her subconscious, Nodoka could clearly see the image of Yue, a light gray cloud sparkling around her, beckoning her. She turned around, holding out her hand to Nodoka, greeting her with a warm, friendly smile. Nodoka's face started to burn lightly as she headed toward Yue. But, before she could grab her hand, Nodoka was snapped out of her trance by Asuna shaking her.

"Bookworm…wake up…"

Nodoka drowsily turned to the source, seeing that Asuna was holding a small, plastic cup of pink medicine out to her. Nodoka carefully took it from Asuna's grasp, and downed the liquid fast. She then gave the cup back to Asuna and pulled the covers up over her small body. She cringed when a wave of nausea rippled through her.

_Ugh…t-that stuff didn't go down well…_ she thought, trying once again to fall asleep. Asuna went to get up and go back to the kitchen, when the door to her dorm opened up, and two of their classmates strolled in casually. Asuna turned to see Setsuna and Konoka standing in the room near the door. Konoka had a big smile stretched across her face and Setsuna was smiling; it wasn't as extreme as Konoka's smile, though. They both had their coats on over their school uniforms, and were drenched from the never-ending rain outside.

Asuna greeted them, "Hey guys! What's up?"

"Well, Setsuna heard about Nodoka's illness, and we wanted to drop by and see how she was doing. Professor Negi gave us permission to come during lunch" Konoka explained, closing the door behind her and taking off her coat. Setsuna also took off her jacket, made her way to the bed which Nodoka was lying on, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Konoka turned to Nodoka, who was half-asleep, and asked Asuna, "How is she doing?"

"Well…" Asuna took a deep breath and sighed, "To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure if she's all right. She's had a high fever since last night, and she feels worse today than she did yesterday."

Setsuna stared at the sick girl in the bed, sympathy shining in her expression. Nodoka was wincing in discomfort and shifted frequently under the covers.

Asuna continued her explanation, "I've been on the lookout for anything serious, but nothing has happened yet. If worse comes to worse, I'll take her to the emergency clinic to get her checked out." Asuna started to walk toward the kitchen with Konoka following, while Setsuna stayed at Nodoka's side. She still gaped at the sick girl, who continued fidgeting a little and let out a groan every once in a while. Setsuna glanced from the girl to the kitchen and back again, apprehension starting to get the best of her.

"Ohhhhh…A-Asuna…Asuna…" Nodoka moaned, clutching her stomach and curling up into a ball underneath the warm comforters. Setsuna's heart leaped at first, but then she placed her hand on Nodoka's shoulder and shook her until Nodoka opened her heavy eyelids. She looked up at her samurai classmate with a surprised expression.

"S-s-setsuna…?"

The samurai nodded and smiled, "Miss Konoka and I came to visit you. What's the matter?"

Nodoka looked away and whimpered, "I…I f-f-feel really…s-sick…"

Setsuna studied Nodoka's features and became concerned; Nodoka's face had turned an ugly shade of green and her eyes were bloodshot. Her nose was running like a carefree stream, sweat was causing her hair to stick to the top of her forehead and on the back of her neck. And the coughing sounded terrible; every time Nodoka coughed, a bronchial gurgling erupted from her chest cavity with every cough.

"Um, Asuna…?" Setsuna called to the girl with the orange hair in the kitchen. Right away, Asuna turned her attention to the two.

"Nodoka says that she doesn't feel very well."

Asuna bit her lip in sudden anxiety; hearing those words scared her as she thought of the worst case scenario. She called back, "How so?"

Setsuna then turned to Nodoka and asked the same question. Nodoka's breath quivered as she answered timidly, "I…f-f-feel…like I'm going to…be ill…"

Setsuna yelled back to Asuna, "She says she feels like she's going to be sick"

Asuna immediately dropped what she was doing and ran over to Nodoka. She took in the fact that the girl was breathing heavily. She asked the girl,

"Nodoka, you feel nauseous?"

The purple haired girl nodded and then shut her eyes tight as vertigo set in and made the room spin.

Asuna took a deep breath to compose herself. She did not want Miss Minamoto's warnings to become real, but she needed to stay calm, for Nodoka's sake. She glanced from side to side, trying to find something to help Nodoka.

"I'll be right back" and with that, she ran into the kitchen once more, searching for an aid for Nodoka. Setsuna rubbed Nodoka's back as the girl's cries grew louder. Nodoka coughed, feeling worse as every second ticked away.

Suddenly, her nausea doubled in intensity, and she sat up straight, holding her stomach with her right hand and her left hand covering her mouth. Gagging noises started to come from Nodoka's throat, and Setsuna started to feel even more nervous.

"Nodoka…what's wrong?"

But before she could answer, Nodoka leaped out of bed with a sudden jolt of energy and hurried into the bathroom. Setsuna followed close behind with a little less speed. Nodoka hurriedly ran into the restroom, kneeling down to the same level as the toilet, lifted the lid off of the toilet and hunched over, releasing her lunch as well as the medicine from her stomach.

Setsuna came in to seeing Nodoka vomiting, and knelt down beside her, embracing the girl to help comfort her. Nodoka shook violently as she threw up, coughing and crying into the toilet as well. Konoka heard the noises and came into the bathroom too, standing in the doorway for she unsure about helping or letting Setsuna handle this.

Asuna had also heard the racket and followed, and when she saw Nodoka throwing up, she gasped. Her nightmare had come true; Nodoka's condition was taking a turn for the worst. She walked inside the restroom and knelt down beside Setsuna, rubbing Nodoka's back as her body quivered and more of her lunch came back up. She moaned, tears falling down her cheeks, and another spasm wracking her body.

After a short while, Nodoka stopped vomiting, but her body was still trembling and her breath was coming out in short gasps. Setsuna released her grip on Nodoka and let Asuna by, who took the girl into her arms and moved her hair away from her face.

"Bookworm, are you okay?"

Nodoka looked behind her with a dull expression in her tearful eyes. The vomiting episode took a toll on her strength and she felt worn out. But more than that, she found that it was getting harder to breathe after the episode.

"I…I…uh…" she answered, quivering again. Suddenly, she gagged and let out another mouthful of throw up onto the floor, coughing hard. Asuna looked down at the spew all over the ground, and her heart lurched. Mixed in with the other colors of the gooey substance, crimson and black hues showed clearly. The other warning had come true.

_She's throwing up…b-blood…! _Afraid of Nodoka's condition, Asuna held the girl close, but despite it, Nodoka fell onto the floor, shaking violently.

"Nodoka! Nodoka, what's wrong? Say something!" Asuna asked frantically, shaking the girl gently. Nodoka continued to vomit, but choked on it as it traveled back down her throat. She started to panic through her haze.

_I…I c-c-can't…breathe! Help! H-help! _she tried to cry out, but though her mouth moved, her voice didn't surface. All that came out was, "C…ca…bre…the…he…he…"

Asuna placed two fingers on Nodoka's jugular, and gasped when she felt Nodoka's slow pulse. With all that was happening, Asuna felt sick herself, but calmed her own stomach down as she turned Nodoka over on her side.

The sick girl started to convulse and hyperventilate, while her eyes opened wide with a glossy stare. Her vision failed her; all she could see was a blinding white light. But she could still feel and hear everything around her, to some degree.

As Asuna unsuccessfully tried to rouse Nodoka, she turned to Konoka and instructed,

"Konoka, go call an ambulance! We need to get Nodoka to the hospital!"

Without question, Konoka ran out of the room to go dial the emergency hotline. Asuna then turned to Setsuna and asked,

"Can you go get the big, thick comforter off of the bed Nodoka was on? We have to keep her warm and comfortable"

Setsuna nodded, ran to the bed, and came back with the comforter within seconds. Asuna picked up Nodoka bridal-style and carried her out of the room, trying to get the girl to stop shuddering. Once they were in the middle of the main room, Asuna knelt down while Setsuna, already knowing what to do, wrapped the comforter around Nodoka. Konoka rushed back into the room, her eyes tearing up from the sudden emergency.

"They said they're on their way!"

Asuna answered with a grunt of understanding, and shifted Nodoka's twitching body so that her head was leaning against her shoulder. The way Nodoka was wrapped made her look like a small child in a sleeping bag. Her face was now turning a light blue color, and it scared Asuna.

_If she's turning…blue…that means... she probably can't breathe! _She thought. Asuna cuddled the girl, trying to get her to calm down while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Setsuna stood by them, holding Konoka as she started to cry as well, scared about what was going on.

The convulsions started to diminish and after a short time, Nodoka opened her eyes slightly, gasping for breath, and spotting Asuna through her foggy vision.

"A…Asun…a…"

"Don't talk. You need to relax. An ambulance is on its way; we're going to take you to the hospital" Asuna explained, moving the hair away from Nodoka's face and clutching her even more tightly.

Nodoka moaned, a great spasm of pain blooming inside her chest like a deadly flower. Every time she took a breath, it stung immensely and she felt like her breaths were more restricted than ever.

She looked up at her classmate, her consciousness fading. Everything was blurred around her, as if someone had smudged everything. She started to shake again, but this time, it was from terror.

"As-s-suna…am…a-am I going…to…d-d-die…?" Nodoka asked innocently, but drowsily. Asuna inhaled sharply, shocked to hear those words coming from her purple-haired friend. Usually, Nodoka, though timid, was confident and never usually showed her fear, unless it was her old fear of men. But seeing her in such a state broke Asuna's heart. She bit her lip again, trying to stop herself from losing control.

"No, Bookworm…You're not going to die…we're going to h-help, so just hang on a little longer, okay? Help is on the way."

Nodoka nodded weakly, a small smile forming on her lips, and she sighed calmly. She let her head fall and sink into Asuna's shoulder as she felt herself slip into a dark, unknown world…

* * *

"And so, Class, that is why Shakespeare's plays are so well know in today's society" Negi finished his lecture to the class with a satisfied sigh. He glanced at the class to see the usual students were paying attention while the expected slackers dozed off and daydreamed. One of those students was Yue; she had seemed preoccupied and nervous throughout the entire day. Negi wondered what was bothering her, but he would have to wait to discuss the matter with her after class.

Yue, on the other hand, was so busy thinking about Nodoka, that she never realized Negi was lecturing them on Shakespeare. All day, she couldn't get her mind off of her best friend, worrying about how she was doing with her sickness and all. And the one, semi-wet dream that she had before shook her up more than she had realized previously. Every time she would close her eyes, Nodoka would be standing there, her arms extended, ready to embrace Yue. But, Yue would just reopen her eyes and shake her head, trying to clear the image from her head, though part of her didn't want to.

"All right, now that we've covered Shakespeare, we will be having a quiz on the subject. I have so set a date, though. I think in two days will be fine." Negi proclaimed to the class, still trying to get his frantic plans in order. He smiled sheepishly as he still couldn't decide to set a date permanently. Yue chuckled and shook her head at the young teacher.

"So, next on the agenda, we shall be covering-"

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Everyone turned to the door at the sound of the knocking. No one had to rush to open it, for it opened already, and Miss Minamoto poked her head in.

"Oh, hello Miss Minamoto. What seems to be the problem?" Negi asked in his British accent. The nurse glanced at the class, and then motioned for him to come outside. "I need to speak to you alone. It's urgent."

Negi's grin ran away at her words, and hurried out of the door, but not without bowing to the class and saying, "I'll be right back, girls"

As soon as he left and the door closed with a light "click", all the girls in the class started to talk to one another in short gasps of gossip. Yue shook her head in disgust at the manner everyone was taking this, but she nonetheless felt excited about something urgent happening. Yue turned around to glance at Haruna, who just shrugged but her eyes showed the same excitement that Yue was feeling.

Suddenly, a creak was heard, and everyone immediately quieted down and sat back in their proper seats. The door opened with another rusty squeak, and in came their professor, but he had changed. His eyes were wide and unseeing. His face had paled and his body was now limp as he stalked to his desk quietly. All the eyes of the girls followed his movements, and Yue saw from the corner of her eye Miss Minamoto and Konoka walk in the room too. The nurse had a somber look on her face while Konoka's face was beet red from crying. Yue was startled by the sudden mood change in Negi, as well as the looks on Miss Minamoto and Konoka.

_Why are they here? What's going on?_

A noise that sounded like someone clearing their throat interrupted her thoughts and she snapped back to their professor, who was the one who cleared his throat. He looked up and with a dull gaze, stared at everyone for a few seconds. The girls had their eyes glued on Negi and waiting on the edge of their seats in anticipation. He took a deep, shaky breath, and announced in a squeaky voice,

"Girls…it…it seems that…something tragic…has happened…" he glanced at Miss Minamoto and Konoka. The nurse dipped her head down a little while Konoka covered her face in her hands and turned away. Yue's eyes darted from one person to the other. Just what was happening?

"It seems t-that…someone…f-from our class…" he continued shakily, but paused to compose himself. Yue scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion.

_From our class…? Tragic? What could be-?_

Just then, her heart fluttered in fear as she suddenly thought of who it could be. Her body tensed up.

_No! No, it couldn't be! Does he…mean…?_

"Your classmate, Nodoka Miyazaki…has been hospitalized…" Negi finally managed to choke out the sentence. A giant fog of whispers and gossip once more rose from the students once he was done. Only two students stayed silent; Yue and Haruna. They were too shocked about the news to speak. Yue clenched her fist and immediately stood up, knocking over her chair. Everyone looked to Yue in confusion, all except for Haruna, for she knew why Yue had made such a startling move.

Yue couldn't grip reality. She had a hard time grasping what Negi had explained. Her fists shook and she felt her eyes well up.

_Hospitalized…Bookworm…no…_

Yue suddenly felt two hands grasp her shoulders, but she didn't need to glance behind her. She knew it was Haruna trying to comfort her. Yue hung her head low as she tried to get the message to her brain.

"It seems that her illness has taken a turn for the worst" Negi continued, "I hope that you will keep her in your prayers…"

Now, the conversations among the students were reaching fever-pitch, but Yue couldn't hear them, and Haruna also tuned them out. Yue sniffed loudly to try and keep the tears at bay, but she couldn't control them from overflowing and dripping down her face. Haruna wrapped her arms around Yue's neck from behind her and held her close, whispering in her ear, "Yue…are you all right?"

As a response, Yue started to murmur, "I knew it…I knew something was wrong…I knew it…I should've done something…I knew it…"

Her fists clenched even harder as her body shook with awful, angry tremors. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. She wiped her eyes with a rough swipe of her sleeve, and she looked up at the three people at the head of the classroom.

"What…what hospital is she at?" Yue asked in a shaky tone, her voice cold. All three people looked at her in shock that Yue was reacting in such a way. Miss Minamoto was the one who spoke up this time.

"Well, she's being taken to the hospital that just outside the outskirts of Mahora campus-"

That was all that Yue needed to hear. She broke free from Haruna's hug and sprinted out of Class 2A, not even caring that it was still class time. Everyone looked at her as she left, and Haruna instantly ran after her, hollering her name. The class was silent for a few minutes, before Miss Minamoto broke the heavy fog of silence.

"I thought Yue might react this way. Is it all right if Konoka, Haruna, Setsuna, and Yue are excused from class to see Nodoka?" she asked the ten year old teacher. He nodded without question, for he knew that they would want to hear about Nodoka's condition as soon as possible. Once he gave them permission, Miss Minamoto nodded to Konoka, and the two stepped out of the room to follow Yue and Haruna's chase.

Meanwhile, Yue blindly dashed out of the school and across the Mahora front yard. She had to get there to see how her best friend was doing. For all she knew, Nodoka could be slipping further and further away from life as every second ticked away.

_Why oh why didn't I stay with her? I'm such an idiot! _

Yue started to slow down as her strength and energy were leaving her from the sudden run. She paused in the middle of the yard, trying to catch her breath.

_One thing is for sure…I won't leave Nodoka's side again!_

_

* * *

_

**AN: Well there it is! Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter: Nodoka's condition and everyone's reaction!**

**Please R and R**

**Arigatou!**

**~Lizard-chan ^^**


	6. Visit

**A/N; SHOOP DE WHOOP! FINALLY DONE! :D **

**sorry this took so long, school and several other issues and limitations prevented this from coming out sooner, but HERE IT IS! 8D**

***parties* Enjoy~**

* * *

Asuna anxiously fiddled with her fingers and took a deep, shaky breath. She quickly glanced over to Setsuna sitting beside her, who had the same expression of apprehension displayed on her face. Setsuna had her hands on her lap, and she looked down at the white tiled floor. From the corner of her peripheral vision, she saw Asuna glance at her, and in response, picked her head up and locked her glossy eyes with Asuna's.

"She'll be f-fine…" she said in monotone, her voice cracking a little. Asuna stared at her for a few minutes and then wrapped her arm around her comfortingly.

"Bookworm is stronger than you think…" Asuna reassured the samurai, who nodded in agreement. Asuna hardly noticed the many doctors and nurses pass them by as they scurried from place to place like mice.

Asuna lay back a little in the chair and looked about the waiting room they were in. It was a small square-shaped room that was painted a pure eggshell white, so bright that the light made the room glow. Benches and chairs were lined up against the opposite wall of the entrance, and it was where Asuna and Setsuna were sitting at that moment. There were only a few others waiting inside the room too; a young woman with blonde hair and her child of about age six were sitting two chairs down from Setsuna. The six year old girl was wiping her eyes, crying while her mother held her, consoling her quietly. Asuna's heart ached even more seeing the little girl crying, and it brought a tear to her eye.

Sitting on the opposite side of the waiting room, on the wall of the entrance, a man and a woman were sitting rigidly in their seats. The woman's face was pale and her eyes were dull with raw emotion. Her husband had his arm around her and held her close, also consoling her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek gently, and in return, she smiled up at him, with a small tearful smile.

The sudden loud sniffle of Setsuna shook Asuna from her reverie and she glanced down at Setsuna. The samurai was wiping her eyes, like the little girl was doing, and her cheeks were stained with tears. Asuna felt her heart deflate again as she watched Setsuna cry silently, with the occasional sniffle. Asuna tightened her grip on Setsuna and held her closer, trying to calm her down.

"Setsuna…you okay?" she asked softly, resting her chin on top of Setsuna's head. Her answer was a couple of sniffles, but then Setsuna took a deep breath and wiped her eyes in one swift motion. She looked up at Asuna, her eyes still lacking of shine, and she murmured in a small voice "I'm f-fine Asuna…just…a little…shocked is all…"

Asuna nodded in understanding and hugged Setsuna gently. The samurai, in turn, laid her head against Asuna's shoulder and shut her eyes, sniffling a little again. Asuna rubbed her back gently and tried to calm her own nerves. The air at the hospital was thick with apprehension and despair ever since they had arrived in the ambulance with Nodoka. They managed to stay with the purple haired girl for the stressful ride to the hospital, trying to soothe Nodoka as much as possible while the physicians helped her out. Once they got to the hospital, they had wheeled her out of the vehicle and into the Emergency Room; Asuna and Setsuna were instructed to wait in the waiting room for either Nodoka to get out of surgery or for Negi, Yue, Haruna, and Konoka to arrive.

So, there they waited for about two and a half hours. Asuna shifted uncomfortably in her seat and, easing her grip on Setsuna a little, laid her head back on the wall behind them and shut her eyes. Various thoughts immediately began to buzz through her head. The dominant thought, of course, was about Nodoka.

_Please Nodoka…please be alright….please…_ she prayed to herself silently. She opened her eyes and glanced around. _I really hope Yue, Haruna, Negi, and Konoka get here soon…_

_Clack! Clack! Clack!_

The echoing of hurried footsteps made Asuna and Setsuna look up suddenly and down the hall, they saw the rest of their troupe come running up to them, Yue in the lead, with Negi, Haruna, Konoka and Miss Minamoto behind her. The two girls on the bench stood up as they saw their friends coming. Asuna clenched her hand a little when she saw Yue's tear-stained face, her features screwed up in a pained and panicked expression. She knew Yue would react in such a way to the news of Nodoka's hospitalization.

Once the group got to Asuna and Setsuna, they halted immediately. The others desperately tried to catch their breath while Yue stood there, not caring about her breathing pattern. She stared at Asuna with worried and tearfully eyes. Asuna felt her heart break again at the sight.

"W-What's wrong with Bookworm…?" Yue choked out, her hands trembling. Asuna took a good look at her friend; Yue's eyes were bloodshot and a little puffy, and her nose was the same shade of red; no doubt she had been crying. In comparison, the rest of her face was deathly pale and she was shaking all over. Asuna walked over to Yue and stared at her for a while. The two just looked at each other in silence, one wanting to find out, the other wanting to say it.

Then, suddenly, Asuna hugged Yue tightly. The blue haired girl had no idea how to react at first, but then she let her body relax and she hugged Asuna back, hiding her face in Asuna's shirt. Asuna, still holding Yue, made her way back to the seat and sat down with Yue in her arms. The others said nothing as they waited for Asuna to explain the situation.

Asuna rubbed Yue's back gently and took a deep breath.

"When we were at the dorm, Nodoka wasn't feeling very good after lunch. She had eaten a little bit, but afterward, she felt nauseous. I gave her some Pepto to help but…it didn't work. Around the time Setsuna and Konoka came in the door, Nodoka started feeling worse…u-until…she got up and ran to the bathroom. When I got there after her, she was violently puking into the toilet…" Asuna started turning a little green herself as she explained. Yue's body tensed up as Asuna continued.

"I…I tried to h-help her but…she collapsed and started vomiting again…she…she started choking on it…a-and…she was having spasms…as if she was having…s-seizures…I told Konoka to call the ambulance and Setsuna helped me with Nodoka…she…she passed out before the paramedics arrived…" Asuna finished with a sigh.

Yue stayed silent as she went over this in her mind. She felt her stomach turn at the thoughts of Nodoka going through something like that. Yue looked up at Asuna, her eyes starting to well up again.

"Do you know if…s-she'll be alright…?"

Asuna bit her lip and looked away, staying silent. Yue felt some tears fall from her eyes; she knew what Asuna had meant by that. Asuna looked back at Yue and then held her gently, once more rubbing her back. Yue hid her face and started to cry into Asuna's shirt, clutching Asuna tightly, trembling violently. Asuna just held Yue closer and whispered "Shh…its okay Yue…" even though she knew it was not okay.

Asuna took her eyes off of Yue and looked at everyone else; Haruna had her head down, silently crying. Negi watched in sadness at the two girls, his young eyes shining with sympathy. Konoka was embracing Setsuna, who was doing the same thing as Asuna was with Yue, and the two cried. Miss Minamoto kept her head down as well.

Yue seized Asuna even tighter than she had before, her cries becoming louder. Asuna tried to calm her friend down. "Yue…Yue, shh, don't cry…Nodoka still has to get out of surgery…she could be fine when she gets out of it…"

Yue looked up at Asuna and in one swift move, wiped her eyes with her sleeve and nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah…you're right…"

Asuna chuckled "Like I have been trying to say, Bookworm is stronger than you think. She has survived a lot in her time, with Pipsqueak over there and his magic" She jabbed her thumb in Negi's direction, who just giggled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. They all laughed whole heartedly, feeling some tension being released in their laughter. Yue thought internally that Asuna was right; she may be overreacting to things, and that Nodoka may be just fine. Yue took a shaky breath and giggled, feeling her spirit being lifted as she forced herself to think positively.

Yue shut her eyes for a minute, and daydreamed, almost hearing Nodoka's sweet voice…

"_Yue!" Yue!"_

_Yue turned to the voice, which belonged to Nodoka. She was dashing toward Yue at a great speed. Before Yue could murmur any kind of greeting, Nodoka crashed into Yue and scooped her up in a big bear hug._

"_Yue! I missed you!" the purple haired girl giggled. Yue was kind of caught by surprise, but laughed and hugged her back "I missed you too Bookworm…don't ever frighten me like that again…"_

_Nodoka hugged Yue tighter "I'm sorry Yue…I really am…I won't ever worry you like that again, I promise" she stated as she eased up on the hug and looked into Yue's eyes. Nodoka brushed a strand of hair away from Yue's face and kissed Yue softly on the cheek. Yue's pale face turned beet red, and she stammered nervously, embarrassed. Nodoka giggled and held Yue a bit longer. In turn, the blue haired girl laid her head on Nodoka's shoulder and sighed happily._

"_I love you Nodoka…" she murmured happily._

"_I love you too, hun" Nodoka replied. Yue looked at Nodoka again and leaned forward to kiss her…_

"YUE!"

Yue jumped nearly two feet in the air and looked around frantically "huh? What? What's wrong?"

She looked at Asuna, who was now standing up with Haruna, Negi, Konoka, and Miss Minamoto. But another had joined the group that Yue had not seen before;

A tall man, with short, chocolate brown hair atop his head, with sparkling green eyes behind small spectacles, wearing a long, white doctor's lab coat was standing next to Miss Minamoto and Konoka. He looked at Yue, and dipped his head to her in greeting. Yue stood up slowly, looking at the man uncertainly.

"Sorry about that Yue," Asuna apologized, "but you were daydreaming, and mumbling. We thought you would want to hear what the doctor had to say…" she turned to the young man, who bowed and said,

"Hello there. I am Dr. Akamatsu…" he smiled handsomely at them, and he gave a light chuckle. Yue stood up from the plastic chair very slowly, staring down Dr. Akamatsu. She was not in the mood for chuckling, and they all sensed Yue's tension. Asuna put her hand on Yue's shoulder and murmured "hey, take it easy Yue…"

The blue haired girl didn't flinch. Negi shivered, feeling somewhat frightened by Yue's sudden attitude change. Dr. Akamatsu broke the silence by clearing his throat.

"I understand the young lady's apprehension…and I am sorry to say this, but my news will not ease that…"

Asuna held her breath for a minute, looking at the doctor surprised. Negi and the others were also gazing at him in anticipation.

"W…What is it, Dr Akamatsu?" Miss Minamoto broke the silence.

Dr. Akamatsu sighed, pushed his spectacles up his nose a bit, and paused to choose his words carefully. He could sense how worried they all were, and he didn't want to say anything that would scare them too badly. He took a deep breath and replied,

"Miss Miyazaki is in critical condition…"

Yue gulped, she felt like she was going to be sick. Her body shook tremendously, and Asuna could feel the vibrations from her hand on Yue's shoulder. Asuna gave it a gentle squeeze, and Yue looked at her, her blue eyes dull.

Dr. Akamatsu continued. "She has come down with a bad case of pneumonia. Her fever exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and she started to throw up once in the examination room. I believe you told me about her vomiting episode at the dorm, correct Miss Kagurazaka?" He asked Asuna, who nodded.

"We cleaned her up, and took an X-ray…and we discovered that her lungs are restricted and full of bacteria, which we gather is what caused the pneumonia…she was having trouble breathing right from when we took her in, so she's been put on a respir-"

Yue cut in suddenly, "Will she be alright?"

Everyone looked at her sharply after she had asked the question. Yue simply stood there, her eyes filled with anger as well as frustration and worry. Her hands here clenched in tight fists, quivering violently at her sides.

Dr. Akamatsu sighed and gave her a somber look. Yue made eye contact with him, and she let her guard down very slowly. For a few good minutes, the two stared at each other continuously. Only Dr. Akamatsu's look did not change. The blue haired girl's eyes started to soften after a while, her gaze changing from anger to terror. Yue started to quiver in fear; she knew just by the look on Dr. Akamatsu's face that he didn't know, or he doubted it.

As if all the strength was sucked out of her, Yue collapsed on her knees, her eyes wide open in fear and shaking as if it was twenty below zero. Asuna knelt down beside her.

"Yue, are you okay?" she asked, fearful for Yue's well being. Yue didn't look up; she just stared at the whitish floor. Asuna sighed and rubbed Yue's back gently, trying to calm her friend down.

Dr. Akamatsu looked down at them in sadness and he stated "We are done examining her; you may go and see her, though she may still be asleep."

Yue looked up sharply; her eyes still dull but wide. She nodded to him, desiring to see her beloved Nodoka, to check with her own eyes if Nodoka was okay.

Asuna took Yue by the arm and pulled her up from the floor gently. She then looked at the doctor "Please, will you take us to her room?"

Dr. Akamatsu nodded and gave them a warm smile "Of course." He waved his hand, motioning for them to follow "this way"

He started to walk down the hallway, with Yue and Asuna following right behind them, followed by Negi, Haruna, Konoka and Miss Minamoto. They all stayed silent as they walked through the halls, the only sounds being the click-clack of their shows on the hard tile floor, and the noise of everyday hospital life. As they walked down the huge hallway, Yue glanced about her and peeked into the rooms that they passed. Some of the patients that she saw only worsened her anxiety. Coughing and retching echoed in her ears. Yue shuddered as she passed by a few gruesome scenes of suffering patients in their beds. She had to look down to prevent her losing her lunch a few times. And everything that she saw, she immediately pictured Nodoka suffering from the same ailment. Yue shut her eyes, murmuring quietly "no more…no more of this…"

Asuna turned to her questioningly, "What did you say Yue?"

Yue snapped out of her reverie and realized that she was muttering out loud. She shook her head "N-nothing. Just worried, that's all…" She fiddled with her hands nervously, but Asuna took one of Yue's hands and held it gently. Yue looked up at Asuna, who was smiling sadly yet reassuringly.

"Relax. Nodoka wouldn't want you to be so high strung for this, now would she? She wouldn't want you or anyone, for that matter, to worry themselves sick. So just relax" Asuna pulled Yue into another hug and then let go shortly after. Yue smiled a little and took a deep breath.

"Here we are" The voice of Dr. Akamatsu drew their attention. They stopped, standing in front of a doorway, with a small sign next to it, saying "Room 382"

Yue glanced at the number, and then at Dr. Akamatsu. "Is that her room?"

Dr. Akamatsu nodded, a small smirk on his face. Yue flipped her gaze from him to the open doorway. She moved slowly from her spot next to Asuna over to the doorway into Nodoka's room, and peeked in. The bed and medical equipment were on the far side of the room, closest to the wall and window on the other side of the room. The entire room was a shining white color; the same as the hallways of the hospital. A curtain was hooked up to the small little rack on the ceiling, but it was pushed to the side for now, since there was nothing to hide.

She walked in very silently, and awkwardly tip-toed up to Nodoka's bed, her eyes glued to the bed, her heart plummeting a little at the sight. When she reached the bed, Yue took in the sight from a closer view.

Nodoka was lying in the large white bed, lying at a slight incline, her body engulfed in white blankets. Her head rested against two white, fluffy pillows; her purple hair was messily flattened against them. Her eyes were shut, black rings outlining the bottom, contrasting against her ashen skin. Clear white tubes were connected to her nose by medical tape and curved and twisted behind her up to a machine that whistled and hissed sharply every few seconds. Another tube was connected to the crook of her arm on one end, and to an IV on another. Her chest was rising and falling gently, in sync with the machine. The faint _beep…beep…beep _of the heart monitor was the loudest sound in the room, while everyone else stayed silent, holding their breath.

Yue stood silently, her trembling worsening as she continued to stare at her best friend, lying flaccid in the bed. She willed her legs to move, but they wouldn't listen to her at first. After staring at Nodoka a while, slowly, she put one leg in front of the other, stiffly making her way to Nodoka's bedside. No one stopped her, for they were all frozen in despair at the image of their poor friend, and they understood how upset Yue was.

Yue, once she reached Nodoka's bedside, stuck in somewhat of a trance, gently held Nodoka's hand in her own. Yue knelt down beside the bed, and she murmured, "…h-hey, Nodoka…" as if Nodoka was conscious at the moment. There was no response, but no one was expecting one in the first place.

Yue clutched Nodoka's hand a little tighter in the silence, her own trembling.

"I'm…s-so sorry Nodoka…" her voice began to crack as she continued to talk, "I-if I would've k-k-known how b-bad your illness was…I-if we all knew…w-we would've…tried to prevent this…." Yue bit her lip and bent her head, tears falling down her cheeks and onto her skirt. "I'm sorry Nodoka…I wish…I could take this pain away from you…"

A sudden moan from Nodoka made everyone jump. Yue picked her head up at once. Nodoka had an expression of pain mixed with misery on her face, and her lips parted every few minutes to let out another moan. Yue tightened her grip on Nodoka's hand a little more, looking on in concern. Asuna, Haruna, Negi, Miss Minamoto, Konoka, Setsuna, and Dr. Akamatsu had all moved away from the doorway and had gathered behind Yue, staying silent.

Nodoka's head tossed a little and she groaned again, this time a name was audible.

"Yue…"

Yue's heart jumped a little at the sound of her name. She gently ran her thumb over the top of Nodoka's hand and whispered "I'm right here…"

Nodoka suddenly coughed; one that made them all wince. She sounded as if she was being strangled, and Yue started to grow even more concerned. Dr. Akamatsu walked closer to the bed and knelt down to check to see of the oxygen tubes were hooked up to Nodoka's nose. The purple-haired girl coughed again, but the fit started to ease a little; although, Yue's fears did not cease when she saw a small stream of blood trickle out from the corner of Nodoka's mouth.

Yue's eyes scanned around the room and she found a small box of tissues on the small tray next to the bed. She took one of them, leaned forward and tenderly wiped the blood from Nodoka's chin and lips. At the slight touch, Nodoka's closed eyelids twitched and she murmured something indistinct. Yue paused. She saw her eyelids start to flicker, and they eventually opened a crack.

Everyone instantly sucked in their breath. Dr. Akamatsu smiled sweetly at her and greeted quietly "Hello Miss Miyazaki"

Nodoka turned her head slightly to look at the doctor, and from there her eyes traveled to her friends and then finally to Yue right beside her.

"What…what h-happened…?" she asked drearily after a long silence. Yue swallowed hard and she answered,

"You…had gotten worse, Nodoka…you were very sick and you passed out…Asuna, Setsuna and Konoka called an ambulance and brought you here…"

Nodoka's eyes widened and she looked at the three. Asuna smiled while Konoka and Setsuna blushed and looked down. She then looked back at Yue and blushed when she saw that Yue was holding her hand.

Dr. Akamatsu continued, "Miss Ayase is correct. You were in your dorm at school when you had vomited. You had fainted and the vomit traveled back down your throat, and, well, it made your condition more severe. Your lungs may have an infection from it, which has made your pneumonia worse than it should be."

Nodoka blinked slowly and after it sunk in, she replied, "O-oh…" she paused to shudder, "I s-see…"

She suddenly gasped and grabbed her chest with her free hand, whimpering in pain. Yue jolted and she stood up, still grasping Nodoka's hand. "Nodoka…w-what's wrong…?"

"My…chest…hurts…" Nodoka breathed heavily, sweat drops forming at the top of her forehead. Dr. Akamatsu's brow wrinkled in worry, while everyone else stayed silent. The doctor replied "I'll go get you your medicine" And with that, he exited the room.

Yue walked over to the doorway and took a chair that was near it and brought it over to sit on beside Nodoka's bed. Miss Minamoto looked at the clock on the wall and told them, "I'm sorry kids, but I need to get back to Mahora." She walked over to Nodoka's bed, smiled and murmured, "I hope you feel better Nodoka." Nodoka nodded her thanks, and Miss Minamoto left the room, headed back to the academy.

Nodoka turned to everyone and squeaked, "Thank you e-everyone…" She smiled weakly at them. They could all feel their hearts breaking at the cheerfulness that Nodoka had held after her whole ordeal. Asuna cleared her throat and smiled "We're just glad that you're awake and okay." Negi, Konoka, Haruna and Setsuna nodded in agreement. From Negi's coat pocket emerged Chamo, who quickly crawled onto his small shoulder. His ermine nose twitched.

"Hey, Nodoka. Glad to see that you're awake" he chuckled. Everyone looked at him in surprise, not expecting to see, or hear, the ermine. Negi shrieked, "Chamo! Where did you come from?"

Chamo chuckled again and he replied "Well I saw that you were in a hurry, so when you and your students were running down the hall, I snuck into your pocket. Plain and simple." Asuna rubbed one of her temples and sighed, irritated with Chamo. Nodoka, however, giggled at the ermine. Everyone looked at her and they joined in laughing with her. Chamo looked at all of them "Hey! What's so funny?"

They continued to giggle for a while, until it was broken by the pained cough of Nodoka. She grimaced as she leaned forward a little and coughed into her hand hard. Yue tried to help lift Nodoka up a little to make it easier on her lungs. Nodoka gagged as she coughed even harder. Yue held the tissue up to Nodoka's mouth trying to mop up the blood from her lips again. The coughing was quickly reduced to wheezing as Nodoka laid back down on the bed, exhausted. Her breathing was irregular and it worried Yue very much. She grabbed Nodoka's hand again and quietly asked, "Nodoka a-are you okay…?"

Nodoka shook her head slightly. "N-no…I…I don't feel well…"

Yue bit her lip and she took a deep breath. "Maybe you should get some sleep after you take your medicine."

Nodoka nodded weakly, her purple eyes getting hazy again. At that moment, Dr. Akamatsu came back in with a pill and a glass of water for Nodoka. He gave her the items carefully and explained, "Here you go. Take this pill Miss Miyazaki. You may get drowsy from it though."

Nodoka nodded and she popped the pill into her mouth and downed it with a swig of water. Dr. Akamatsu grinned and turned to everyone else, saying "You guys are welcome to stay until the end of visiting hours"

Asuna replied "Thank you, but we should be getting back to class." She looked over at Yue and whispered to him quietly, "Although, I'm not sure if Yue would want to part from Nodoka…"

Dr. Akamatsu nodded "I understand." He turned to Nodoka and said "if you need anything, just press the Call Button over there, Miss Miyazaki." He smiled and then left the room again.

Nodoka nodded and yawned greatly. Her eyes were beginning to droop again. Yue looked at the time and she sighed, turning to everyone else.

"Maybe we should get going…" Yue suggested. They all nodded in agreement, and with that, Yue turned back to Nodoka and mentioned, "Bookworm…I need to get back to class…but I'll be here later okay?" Her tone was delicate to her ill friend. Nodoka looked at her and wheezed, "o-okay…" she smiled sweetly at Yue, and they both felt their faces grow hot. Yue leaned over and planted a small kiss on Nodoka's pale cheek. Nodoka's face instantly turned beet red and she stammered, "Th-thank you Yue…"She grinned sheepishly at the blue haired girl. Yue smiled and reluctantly let go of Nodoka's hand.

The others walked closer to the bed. Haruna smiled and mentioned, "We'll be back to visit you…and I know it sucks to do homework when you're sick, but we'll keep you up to date on the work"

Nodoka nodded "Thank you." Haruna took Nodoka's hand briefly and squeezed it gently. Asuna smiled and told her, "I hope you feel better Bookworm." Konoka and Setsuna nodded as well. Negi bowed quickly and squeaked, "Get well soon Nodoka." Chamo, when Negi bowed, almost fell off in the process and he shrieked "Hey! Be careful Brutha Negi!"

Nodoka giggled again, beaming at everyone leaving and she repeated "Thank you everyone…see you soon" she waved a delicate hand at them, and they all waved back at her as they exited the room. Once they left, she laid her head on her pillow and sighed. She slowly brought a hand up to her cheek and blushed deeply.

_She kissed my cheek…_ she kept repeating in her head, trying to process the thought. A wide grin spread across her face as she thought about it, and she listened to her heart drumming loudly in her ears.

Yue, Haruna, Negi, Asuna, Setsuna, and Konoka all walked down the hallway, to the elevator. Yue also couldn't get her mind off of the kiss. She blushed deeply as well thinking about it. Asuna glanced over at her and she smirked, "What's wrong Yue?"

Yue glared at her. "Shut up Asuna"

Asuna laughed and teased, "Aw, what's wrong? Someone a little flustered?" Yue turned deep red and gave Asuna the death glare. Chamo whistled, "Whoo! Yue has the hots for Nodoka!" Negi tried to silence him but could not. Yue turned slowly toward him, her face angry and she struck the rodent as hard as she could, sending Chamo flying into the wall of the elevator. Chamo groaned in pain, "okay okay! Geez, can't take a joke!" Setsuna and Konoka giggled nervously.

Asuna chuckled and placed an arm on Yue's shoulder "Yue, we're kidding. I saw what happened" She winked at Yue, who looked down, embarrassed. They all smirked discreetly, for they all saw what had happened.

As they all headed out of the hospital and into the rain, Yue looked up at the gray sky and thought about her sick friend, and tried to suppress her fear for her. She took a deep breath and tried to smile as wide as she could.

_I'm sure she'll make it through this…she'll be fine, I'll see her tonight and we'll have a great time…_

She bit her lip again and continued to walk with her friends, praying every step of the way.


End file.
